Shadow & A Dancer
by Hikari-and-Yami
Summary: Forensic psychologist Atem Sennen gets the opportunity of his career when he's assigned to interview mass murderer and diagnosed sociopath Yugi Motou. But not all is what it seems. - Blindshipping -
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Decided to give you all a present on this very, merry Christmas and publish my top secret very near-completed story that I have been working on behind the scenes for months. Still needs some tweaking, but I think I've gotten to the point where I'm ready to publish it. I hope you all enjoy!

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><p><strong>Shadow &amp; A Dancer<strong>

Chapter 1

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><p>How on <em>earth<em> had this man, who, at his full height, was no more than five feet five inches tall, managed to reek more havoc in a span of three months than anyone else in the entire _history_ of Domino City? And Christ if Yugi Motou wasn't the prettiest thing he'd ever seen – what, with round enticing amethyst eyes that took up his whole face, silky smooth skin that wrapped around his lithe _oh-so-inviting _frame, and long indulgent locks of raven black and honey blond hair that practically _begged_ for someone to run their fingers through.

Wait – _this_ was the brutal mass murderer who eluded police for months on end only to walk into the FBI headquarters, hands in the air, and turn himself in? _Seriously_? Atem blinked, accompanied by a well-concealed shake of his head. Sure, he had seen pictures of the infamous sociopath on the news and in case files but, as Atem concluded right then and there, the images did not do the man justice.

Atem hadn't realized that he had verbalized the disbelieving sentiment aloud until the federal prison guard next to him turned to address him. "Don't underestimate him. I know he _looks _like he couldn't hurt a fly, but if you turn your back for even a second, he'll snap your neck and smile while he does it." The guard gazed through the one-way mirror at the man who had accrued a larger body count than any spree or serial killer known to the city had ever done. Atem's eyes followed suit, and he watched with a sort of morbid curiosity as Yugi drummed his fingers on the table that the cuffs around his wrists had been chained to. Yugi's chair was turned halfway from the table, giving Atem a clear view of the man's profile. Even from here, on the other side of the mirror, Atem could discern the expression Yugi wore for that of boredom with perhaps a touch of annoyance.

"I've been working here for over 10 years…" the guard spoke again, bringing Atem out of his reverie. "Never have I known an evil like him."

Atem didn't respond, but nodded anyways as the guard unlocked the door leading into the consultation room. Atem allowed the mask that he reserved solely for these types of encounters to click into place as the guard swung open the door. "We'll be right here if you need anything," the guard said. "Don't worry."

But Atem wasn't worried. Over the past five years under the employment of the Federal Bureau, he had done his fair share of interviews with serial killers and mass murderers alike to accrue a kind of confidence and composure that most others lost when confronted with the mind games and threats of bodily harm that people of this particular variety dished out. When he walked in, Atem could see Yugi flick his gaze at him out of the corner of his eye. The drumming of his fingers stopped mid-air, as Yugi scanned him over once, then turned his body in the chair to face him completely.

"_Puh-lease_ tell me you're my new personal prison escort," the little sociopath opened with.

"I'm afraid not," Atem responded, not missing a beat. Walking towards the table, he pulled the seat out across from Yugi, the chair legs screeching against the old hardwood floor. He settled in the seat, placed his paperwork on the table, and adjusted his glasses, before addressing Yugi again. "My name is Dr. Sennen – "

"Oh god, _you're_ the shrink?" Yugi clicked his tongue and, crossing his arms lazily over his chest, leaned back in his chair, chains clinking against the cuffs around his petite wrists. "Pity," he muttered, gaze now on the cracks in the ceiling and not even trying to hide his disdain at the revelation.

"I am here to conduct a forensic interview –"

"Lovely. However, I have been informed by the sea - and I do mean _sea - _of shrinks before you that I have…" Yugi paused, his lips tilting and eyes narrowing in thought. "…oh, yes! An anti-social personality. That being so, you see, you must accept my candid noncompliance with this interview."

Atem utilized extreme restraint in his ability to not roll his eyes. He had expected the pushback, as Yugi hadn't agreed to speak openly with anyone since his arrest and subsequent conviction. But did the man have to be such a blunt asshole as well. "I'm sure your legal counsel has informed you of your mandatory cooperation with this interview," Atem said blankly.

"Mandatory." Yugi lifted a hand in the air dismissively, chain raising with it, then lowered his hand back to rest on his bicep. "A rather useless concept when you're unable to reinforce it."

Atem frowned, seemingly unimpressed. "Well, I don't see what the harm is. It would certainly aid in any appeal you may file – "

"Appeal?" Yugi laughed, his lavender gaze snapping down from the ceiling to once again focus on Atem's face. "Well, aren't you just delightful? Sweetheart – "

"Dr. Sennen if you could –"

"I can't." Yugi grinned. "Look. Precious. I've been convicted of one hundred and sixty two murders. I don't think I am in a place to appeal to _anyone_."

"Speaking of said murders –"

"Let's not and say we did."

"That's not how it works."

"Says who?" Yugi quirked an amused eyebrow, the corners of his lips twitching under threat of a smile. "You?"

"Well, for starters, you have been court-mandated to comply."

"Pah." Yugi rolled his eyes. "Look at all the fucks I don't give."

Atem suddenly understood why it took the jury less than fifteen minutes to return with a guilty verdict. "Well, this type of response is to be expected, I suppose, given your blatant defiance of authority."

Yugi dismissed Atem's words with another lift of his hand, waving him off and suddenly looking very bored. "Yes, yes, I also have no regard for life, am easily provoked, have a complete lack of remorse, and have no capacity for empathy. So on, so on. Really now, you must have better things to do then bother me with this bullshit."

Despite the way in which he bristled on the inside, Atem simply shrugged at Yugi and proceeded down a different avenue. "Don't you want others to hear your story?"

"Ah, appealing to my narcissism, are we?" Yugi chuckled. "Don't bother – I don't fancy myself all that much."

"It could perhaps provide closure –

"_Spare_ me, doc, would ya? I would sooner flip the switch myself then have you try to appeal to my conscience right now."

Atem blinked. "Wow," he said before he could stop himself. "You're really a dick, huh?"

Silence.

Heavy and tense and dark silence filled the room.

Atem inwardly flinched, but on the surface remained expressionless. In a span of five seconds, he had managed to back himself into a corner. He couldn't apologize for his words for it would have been a show of weakness, and Yugi would surely lose all respect for him if he did (if any ounce of respect existed in the first place, which Atem highly doubted). But Atem couldn't just start down a new line of questioning either until his comment had been addressed. So, he simply had to wait for the sociopath to respond.

At the moment, Yugi was staring at him, his eyes an almost negligible fraction wider than usual – the only hint that he was at all taken aback by Atem. A few moments later, he gave Atem an owlish blink. Then another one. Then, as slow as ever, a dazzling smile stretched those pink lips as far as they could go. "Sennen, was it?" Yugi purred, as he slithered out of his seat and leaned forward over the table, the sound of metal scraping when the chains pulled tight and restricted Yugi from moving any closer.

"Come here, darling. Let me see that gorgeous face of yours up close."

"Yeah…" Atem pursed his lips with a small shake of his head. "That's not going to happen."

"Why?" Yugi gestured down to his hands with a small nod of his head. "You can't possibly be afraid of me. I'm cuffed." Yugi pulled at the chains again. "See?"

"Even so," Atem said, slowly. "I typically try to keep my distance between sociopaths. You all are a rather…volatile lot."

"Ha! Oh, I like you. I really, really do." The plum eyes shimmered and flicked to Atem lips, something that did not go unnoticed by Atem. "Do you really think that I couldn't get to you if I tried? Do you honestly believe that this table and these flimsy little chains would stop me?"

Atem's heart thudded under the implicit threat, but he was as composed as he'd ever been on the outside. "Perhaps not," he said coolly, with a small lift of his shoulders. "But I must inform you that I will defend myself if need be."

Yugi laughed, eyes sparkling all things dangerous. "You wouldn't last two seconds, doc. _But, _lucky for you, you have been the highlight of my time in this eternal hellhole. So, for now, I'll play good prisoner."

That being said, Yugi plopped down in his seat and, almost immediately, Atem felt his body lose some its tension. At this point, Atem probably could've moved onto a safer, less threat-inducing line of questioning. But Atem was known in his field for his ability to thread on thin ice with unfathomable ease. Best not fail his reputation, he supposed. "What would've you gained by killing me? What does the act of killing provide you?"

"Well, for one, it would stop your useless prattling." Yugi raised one hand in the air, making opening and closing gestures with his fingers to emphasize his point. He grinned. "Though I do find your voice mind-numbingly sexy."

Atem blinked, finding himself both annoyed at Yugi's unrelenting strew of insults and unnerved by the sociopath's multiple attempts to flirt with him. Ethically, he knew he was at the point where he needed to terminate the interview. "You have made it clear that you do not intend to cooperate with this interview," Atem decided, standing to his feet and gathering his belongings in his hands, all the while ignoring the hot glare Yugi was pinning with him. "So, I will document your refusal and be on my way. I wish you the best, Mr. Motou."

Heeding the guard's warning and relying on his own personal instincts, Atem walked away from Yugi at an angle, so that he did not have his back to him completely just in case the sociopath decided to make good on his threat.

"_Fine_."

Atem almost did falter under the abrupt break in silence, enough so that he paused in his retreat. Atem turned halfway from the door and observed Yugi's rigid body language complimented by his annoyed expression. "Fine, what?" Atem asked.

Yugi glanced at him sideways through narrowed eyes. "I'll answer your damn questions."

_Really?_ Atem wanted to respond, but did his best to keep his surprise from shining through. "Okay," he said instead, as he retraced his steps back to his seat. He lowered down onto the chair, slowly, and placed his paperwork back onto the table. When he looked back up, Atem found those eyes watching him and took a moment to search the pools of violet to find the monsters that dwelled behind them, not for the first time noticing the way Yugi's long thick eyelashes framed those irises of beauty and of death. What a beautiful disaster he was. What a breathtakingly god-awful man.

"_Well_?" Yugi hissed, pulling Atem out of his thoughts. "Don't you have some questions to ask me?"

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><p><em>To Be Continued...<em>

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><p>AN: This story will be updated every Wednesday. Please, please review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! Much appreciated! :) Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Shadow &amp; A Dancer<strong>

Chapter 2

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><p>"He only threatened me like... four more times after that."<p>

"Ha!" Malik Ishtar, Atem's long-standing supervisor, snorted, the man's lavender eyes bright with unfiltered amusement. "_Only_?"

"Well, five if you include the threat on my cat's life."

"How'd he know you had a cat?"

"He guessed," Atem said, trying to balance his paperwork in one hand and his lunch in the other, as they weaved through the busy corridors of the Federal Bureau's headquarters, in the direction of Malik's office. "He said I looked like the 'kind of asshat' that would have a cat."

"Oh man, that's rich," Malik commented with a grin, as they approached his office. Bringing his cup of coffee to his lips and using his teeth to hold it in his mouth, Malik used his now free hand to open his office door, the other hand having been preoccupied with his own plate of food. "You denied it, of course?" the supervisor questioned once he removed the cup from his mouth, using the curve of his back to hold the door open for Atem.

"Of course I did," Atem retorted with a small glare, annoyed that Malik had asked him such a stupid question in the first place. Atem fumbled a bit with all of the items in his hands and cradled in his arms, but he was able to set everything down on the round table in the center of the room without any mishaps. "Last thing I need is some lunatic trying to hunt down poor Mr. Whiskers. Damn cat has been through enough after the whole Bakura incident."

"Ah, yes!" Malik chuckled, closing the door with a purposeful flick of his hip. "How is our dear friend? Is he still sending you letters?"

"Yup," Atem sighed, popping the_ 'p'_. He was not nearly as amused with the whole ordeal as Malik seemed to be. "And before you ask, yes, he still wants to smother me in my sleep."

"Well, to be fair, your testimony _did_ help send him away for thirty-three life sentences." Malik had the gall to shrug his shoulders. "Some people tend to hold a grudge over those kind of things."

"You don't say?" Atem sat down in the red-cushioned, tad old-fashioned chair in front of the table and slid his plate - full of fresh fruit and warm bread - closer to him. "Well, since you seem to find this all rather hilarious, perhaps _you_ should take on our next assigned client."

"Ah, you see, that's the great thing about being in charge, my dear Atem. I no longer have to be on the receiving end of verbal lashings from humanity's scum of the earth." Malik set his own lunch on the table, opposite of Atem, followed by his caramel leather-bound briefcase. "Anyways, you seem to forget that I spent many years in your very spot. I have paid my dues, thank you very much." Malik lowered himself to settle in his own chair and took another graceful sip of his coffee. "I must admit though, despite how much I enjoy my current role, hearing these stories from you makes me miss the good ol' days sometimes."

"Hmm," Atem acknowledged, his mind now mostly focused on the food in front of him, the breakfast he had missed due to his childhood habit of waking up late now reminding him of the error of his ways. He was absolutely _starving._

Malik didn't even seem to notice the other's lack of input and continued on, "You know what I don't miss though? Dealing with those stiffs up in Ethics. Goddamn, they drove me crazy." Malik shook his head as if shaking off undesirable memories, the small movement allowing his wild blond locks of hair to brush against the sides of his face. "I don't see them nearly as much now that I don't do direct client work, so thank God for that."

At the mention of the Ethics Board, Atem refocused on the present conversation, right as he was stuffing a ripped off piece of bread in his mouth. "Speaking of Ethics... " Atem swallowed the rest of his sentence down alongside the chewed bread.

Malik raised a brow at Atem. "_Go on_," he implored.

"Well." Atem sat a bit straighter in his chair. "During the interview yesterday with Motou, I sort of... called him a dick."

The silence following his words was short-lived for suddenly the room was filled with a fit of cackling laughter. Atem felt a burst of heat rise to his face - his supervisor very clearly amused at his expense.

"Yes. I know. Completely unprofessional. I'll try not to do it again. No, I don't need anger management. Yes, I will try to bite my tongue next time. Alright, good talk." Atem muttered all of this in a mocking tone, though the slither of annoyance in his voice was tangible, as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "Can we move on, _please_?"

"Oh, no, no, no." Malik managed between laughs. "We _have_ to talk about this."

"Surely we have more pressing matters to attend to," Atem said, lips falling into a tight line.

"Wait - just wait a bloody second, would you?" Elbows now firmly on the table, Malik brought both his fisted hands to the sides of his face and grinned at Atem. "I'm still _reeling_ over the fact that you called the most prolific mass murderer to date a _dick_. You, my friend, have officially drunk the koolaid."

"It was one of my more royal slip-ups, I admit," Atem assented. "And as you know, the Ethics Board is not particularly fond of me as it is."

It wasn't that Atem didn't do his job well. On the contrary, he did his job a little_ too_ well. There was even one point where he had three separate agencies fighting over him for his ability to connect with criminal cliental on their level, and therefore pull information from them in a genuine but artful and purposeful way.

But the Ethics board was not keen on his kind of... approach. Granted, he had tailored it over the years, and he was no longer so rough around the edges, having incorporated a higher level of patience and a more sturdy filter. But Atem was, by nature, a bluntly honest man with a low threshold for bullshit. Ironic, since this was something that was constantly fed to him from both his co-workers and his clients alike. But Atem was the type of person to call people out on their shit. Excuses were just that to him - excuses. He didn't expect remorse or empathy out of his clients or even out of those he knew outside of work. But he did expect people to, at the very least, acknowledge and take responsibilities for their actions.

"Screw 'em."

Malik's comment brought him out of his musings and, with a sigh, Atem picked up another piece of bread from his plate, breaking off little pieces to toss into his mouth. "Malik, you are fully aware that they can pull my license."

"Ha! Over my dead body."

Atem chuckled a bit at that. "I don't think you have the pull you think you do."

Malik lifted his shoulders. "Whatever. Bunch of pretentious tools, if you ask me." He popped a grape in his mouth. "Half of them have no idea what it's like to be in our positions - wining and dining serial killers just so we can get whatever information we can to help the families of their victims. And they have the _audacity_ to tell us what's ethical?"

"Well. To be fair, they _are_ the _Ethics_ Board."

"Pah!" Malik waved his hand in the air. "Whatever. Point is, Motou talked. So, whatever you said or did, worked like a charm, no?"

Atem shrugged a shoulder, bringing a fresh strawberry to his lips and taking a bite of the delicious little fruit. "The problem is I don't think name-calling falls under therapeutic interventions."

Malik brushed him off again. "Don't fret about, alright? Even if the guards turned the intercom on from inside, which would have been a _huge_ breach of confidentiality on Mr. Motou's behalf, then they probably would've been more inclined to give you a high-five then to report you to the board. I know you may feel a bit uneasy about it all now, but this is not the first time you've jump-roped with that line and it won't be the last."

Atem scowled, a tad indignant but also unable to deny it. "Jump-rope is different from leaping over it entirely."

"I suppose. You want some genuine supervisory advice? Be more mindful and keep that sharp tongue of yours in check." Malik tossed another grape into his mouth. "Unless he _really_ is being a dick."

"Malik - "

"Moving on." Malik reached towards Atem with a waiting open hand. "So, how much info did Motou divulge?"

Atem rolled his eyes at the abrupt change in topic, but followed along without protest. "Not a lot," he admitted, passing Malik the folder containing his notes from the interview.

Malik scanned over the notes silently, and Atem took the lapse in conversation to finish his lunch. When he returned to his seat after throwing away his plate, Malik was just closing the folder in his hand. "Nice," Malik commented with an appreciative nod. "No one's been able to get anything out of him since his arrest. He must like you."

Atem grimaced. "You could say that."

"Well let's add your information to the file and review it as a whole."

At Atem's nod, Malik opened his briefcase, still on the table, and pulled out a thick green binder from it's confines. Flipping open the cover of said binder, Malik's eyes focused on the comprehensive assessment section of the sheet in front of him. "From the beginning then," Malik said, cracking his neck to the side. "Yugi Motou is a twenty-four year old male with no significant past medical or psychiatric history. Trauma history includes a car accident at the age of 4 that left both of his parents deceased, though Yugi was relatively free of any physical injuries. Yugi spent the majority of his childhood in and out of fosters home until he aged out of the system at eighteen. At the time of his arrest, Motou was living by himself in a small studio just on the outskirts of the city.

According to Motou's friends, he was a charismatic, friendly teen and young adult that excelled in school. However, shortly after graduating from university, he became irritable and withdrawn, pulling away from all of his known friends. He eventually cut off contact with them completely, despite their attempts to reach out to him. A few months prior to the start of the murders, Yugi was admitted to the ER following a drug overdose, which the psychiatrist on call believed to be a suicide attempt, though he never admitted to this.

When the first bodies started to appear around the city, police didn't connect them due to varying attributes of the victims. Because they were of all races, religions, and backgrounds, both female and males, around all ages - the youngest being 17, the oldest 56 - it was impossible for forensic psychologists at the time to make a sufficient profile. In fact, it was only by the brutal maiming of all the victims that they were able to link the cases together at all. There was no apparent motive for any of the murders, nor did Yugi ever provide one. Though he refused to fill out any self-reports or psychiatric assessments, he exhibits almost all of the characteristics of sociopathy. Until now, he has declined to speak with anyone."

Atem processed the information easily, as he had heard it all many times before. It had always been baffling to both him and psychologists who had reviewed the case that Yugi had no previous reports of anti-social, disruptive, or unusual behaviors prior to the year that the murders actually begun, as these patterns of behaviors typically emerged in childhood or adolescence. He would have to remember to bring it up with Yugi later.

"During the interview," Atem began, deciding that now would be a good point to jump in. "Motou confirmed that police have located all the bodies, despite suspicions that he had several dumping grounds. Rather crudely, he said that he could not be bothered with burying his victims. Despite the lack of forensic evidence, he stated that he never used gloves or took any kind of forensic counter measure. Also, he said that his victims were random. However, after that, he... declined to continue with the interview."

Malik lifted an eyebrow. "Declined?"

"In so many words." Atem shifted in his seat. "At least that's what I assumed from the 'go fuck yourself' comment." Atem scoffed at the memory of his interaction with the little sociopath. "But Motou did agree to meet again tomorrow to continue the interview."

"Good. Hopefully you can get a bit more information out of him before he meets sparky."

Atem nodded, then slackened in his seat with a deep sigh, causing Malik to cast him a curious gaze. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Atem said. "Just tired. Didn't sleep well last night."

"Well, make sure you get in some shut eye tonight. You got a big day tomorrow."

Atem pinned his supervisor with a small glare. "Don't remind me."

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><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

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><p>"Ah, there you are!"<p>

Atem could've sworn Yugi sounded genuinely excited to see him. What, oh what, did the little sociopath have up his sleeve today.

"And here I was starting to think that you had stood me up," Yugi continued, flashing Atem a playful wink.

Atem ignored the gesture. "I'm not in the habit of blowing off my clients," he said simply.

"Oh, so I'm _your_ client now?"

Atem had to give it to Yugi - that shit-eating grin was quite impressive. "I trust you are doing well, Mr. Motou," Atem said, placing his belongings down on the table.

"Mr. Motou is my father, and he's rather dead at the moment, so I'm not sure where that falls on the wellness scale," Yugi said, his grin never fading. "Call me Yugi."

It was very clearly a demand and not the request that Yugi's superficially friendly tone suggested. "Alright then. Yugi." Atem settled into his seat, opening one of the dark blue folders on the table to reveal several pictures of mangled, disfigured human remains. He slid two of the photos across the table towards Yugi. "John Doe #592A and John Doe #592B."

Yugi spared the two photos a bored glance before returning his gaze to Atem. "Rather unoriginal names if I say so myself."

"Are they _yours_?"

Yugi shrugged, giving the pictures another brief look. "I don't know. Though the first guy looks like a total _asshole_." A small chuckle. "_Someone_ did the world a favor."

_Jesus. _Atem blinked. Yugi had no shame, did he?

"They were discovered off the I98 highway, near Exit 14," Atem said, choosing not to address Yugi's comments. "They were unable to be identified by police. Did you ever kill anyone at this location?"

"Not that I can think of."

"_Think_ harder then."

Yugi's eyes sparked at this. "Can't," he said with a shrug. "Too distracted by that face of yours, doll. Your cheekbones are to _die_ for."

"I can get someone else to relieve me if it will help you focus."

"Oh, lighten up, doc," Yugi laughed, that crazy, untamed hair of his waving at Atem as his body shook alongside the small hiccups of giggles. "Geez, how do even sit straight with that stick shoved so far up your ass?"

Against his will, Atem was sure that his brow had twitched. "Do you find this all amusing?"

"Very much so." At Atem's blank stare and in the prolonged silence that followed, Yugi found himself rolling his eyes. "Alright, you win, sweetheart. I'll tell you what you want to know."

When Yugi did not continue, Atem pressed. "When?"

"When I feel like it."

"No," Atem said, setting a firm limit on Yugi. It was time that the ground rules for these interviews be put in place. He was certainly not going to be a willing player in one of Yugi's twisted games. "Tell me now."

"Oh?" Arms folded over on the table's surface, Yugi leaned forward, his eyes like wildfire. "You are just so fucking _hot_ when you _think_ you can tell me what to do. Oh, what I wouldn't give to explore that beautiful, delusional little mind of yours."

_Oh, yeah, I'm the delusional one._ Atem shook his head, intent on holding his ground. "I don't like being toyed with, Yugi."

"And you picked this field?" Yugi chuckled loudly. "Oh, honey, quite the masochist, aren't ya?"

"Surely you possess the capability to address me without the use of pet names?"

"Capability? Yes. Desire to? Not in the least." Yugi leaned away from Atem and back into his seat. "How about this? Let's compromise."

It was the words Atem had been waiting for.

Atem was very well aware of Yugi's need to manipulate and control every fucking possible situation and interaction. He honestly didn't expect Yugi to follow his initial instruction, but he was hoping that Yugi would come to some middle ground on his own, giving the sociopath some semblance of control over the situation. To say Atem was pleased with himself in the current moment was the understatement of the year.

"If you give it a fucking rest with all of" - Yugi waved his hand over the photos - "this shit, then before you leave, I'll tell you what you want to know. Deal?"

Atem paused for dramatic effect, to make Yugi believe that Atem was the actual one compromising here. "Deal," Atem finally sighed out. Damn, he should have been an actor.

"Lovely," Yugi said, immediately brightening. "Now then. Let's chat about more interesting things."

"Like what?"

"Like you."

"I typically try to avoid self-disclosure."

"I typically try to murder all of my shrinks. Guess we're both stepping out of the box today."

_God._ Atem shook his head. _What an asshole. _

"While I appreciate your show of... restraint," Atem said, slowly, "I don't see how any information about myself can help you or this case. I'd much rather focus on -"

"Oh _come on_." Yugi pleaded, batting those pretty round purple jewels at him. "Nothing super personal, 'kay? Just basic fun facts about you, doc. For starters, tell me your first name."

"I think Dr. Sennen is sufficient for now."

"I don't like that."

"Clearly, since you refuse to use it."

"If you tell me your first name, I promise I'll use it plenty." When Atem shook his head in response, Yugi sighed, seemingly annoyed. "Fine, we'll start with something easier. Favorite color?"

"Why does it matter?" Atem questioned, actually curious.

"Its difficult to trust people I don't know," Yugi responded as though it was obvious. "What, with my whole 'inability to form healthy relationships' issue. I guess I just suddenly feel like turning over a new leaf."

_You are so full of shit,_ Atem thought and, by the way Yugi's eyes glinted, he was well aware of Atem's opinion on the matter.

'__You tell a sociopath what they want, they'll rip your heart out and use it for sport,' __Malik had always told him.

But Atem figured that this would be an exception, since he was the one in control here... Right?

_Okay. _

_I'll bite._

"Blue," Atem said, much to Yugi's visible delight.

"Favorite type of music?"

"Classical."

"What a prude." Yugi glanced up towards the ceiling, obviously amused. "Favorite season?"

"Winter."

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Yugi moved forward in his seat again, closing the distance between him and Atem. "Next set of questions: How do you like to fuck?"

"Excuse -?"

"I bet you love to hear your name." The words vibrated off of Yugi's tongue like a purr. "If you tell me your name, I promise I'll say it just the way you like it."

Atem had instantly tensed, his body reacting to the irritation boiling in his blood. "Let me be clear, Yugi: I have a high threshold for many things, but I will not tolerate your rather blunt manner of sexual harassment."

"Oh geez, what a fucking buzzkill you are." Yugi rolled his eyes and leaned back in the chair, all traces of humor disappearing. "You know, on second thought, doc, I don't think I'm in the complying mood today."

"You made a deal," Atem reminded.

Yugi's laugh was as cold as a winter night. "Are you trying to be cute? I mean, I know you're not fucking dumb enough to believe anything I say."

Atem wasn't, but it didn't hurt to point out Yugi's inconsistencies. He shifted in his seat, enough so that the small deck of playing cards that he always carried on his person slipped out of his left pants pocket and onto the floor around his feet. He felt the smallest shift in the atmosphere as Yugi eyed the cards on the floor - a change that Atem readily jumped at.

"Do you like games, Yugi?" he asked, leaning over to collect the cards on the floor, all the while keeping his eyes on the other man.

Yugi's expression hardened. "They're useful for passing the time, I suppose."

_Bullshit_.

"Oh, I see." Atem sat back up and shuffled the cards between his hands, observing the way the plum eyes gleamed in the dim light. "Well I know how much you loathe these meetings as suggested by your noncompliance in the past. Perhaps, you can humor me with a card game."

"Pfft." Yugi snorted. "Whatever."

But Atem wasn't an idiot, and he had been in this field for years. He was not blind to the way Yugi's eyes brightened or to the shadow of a smile that wasn't actually there. So, they played for a few rounds, Yugi winning each hand effortlessly. But it was the one time that Atem had bested him that Atem found Yugi truly engaged. In fact, when Atem had won, Yugi had leaned forward, eyes widening a fraction, and he seemed honestly impressed, though it was only evidenced by his body language.

After thirty minutes had passed, Yugi seemingly in another world as he played, Atem subtly began to converse again with the sociopath.

"You're very good, Yugi," Atem made it sound like an off-handed comment. "You are precise. And calculating."

Yugi chuckled absentmindedly. "I've been told the same about my method of killing."

"Hmm. I would disagree."

Yugi finally tore his gaze away from the cards on the table to blink up at him. "How so?" he asked, and he almost seemed genuinely curious.

"The explosiveness and level of frenzied brutality suggests impulsivity." Atem lifted a shoulder. "Which makes me believe that there was an absence of premeditation for any of your killings."

"Observant little fucker, aren't you?" Yugi scoffed, turning his eyes back to the game. He placed a card faced up on the table and then, with a small lift of his chin, beckoned for Atem to go.

"Did your victims provoke you in any way?" Atem asked, taking his turn by placing a trap card face down on the table.

"I don't need provocation," Yugi said, voice harsher now. Warning-like.

Oh! There's that thin ice Atem loved treading on so much. He was beginning to wonder where it had scurried off to. "Well, why now? You have no reports of criminal or defiant behavior in the past. Something had to trigger this."

"No, I just got bored."

"You have to do better than that."

Yugi had stopped playing the game at this point, and Atem was well aware that he now held Yugi's undivided attention. "God, you shrinks are an absurd bunch. If you can't tell, I am not in the mood for your shit right now. Just play the damn game, would you?"

"Well, I don't think they're unfair questions. In fact -?"

_Screechhh._

That was the sound the chains made when Yugi shot up and out towards Atem, the chains connected to the cuffs around Yugi's wrists stopping his outstretched hands a few inches away from Atem. Almost immediately, the federal prison guards had emerged from the adjoining room, only stopping when Atem shot out an open hand back behind him to halt their approach. Yugi didn't even seem to register their presence, his dark ablazed eyes still locked with Atem's own careful and steady gaze. It was only after a painfully slow fifteen seconds that Yugi's hands lowered, his body leaning back and away from Atem.

"You have out stayed your welcome," Yugi hissed, settling back in his seat. He nodded his head towards the door. "Time to go, doc."

This may have been the first time in Atem's past two interactions with the other that he whole-heartedly agreed with Yugi. He had pissed off the sociopath enough to last him a week, he was sure of it.

Cautiously, Atem gathered the cards on the table into a neat stack and pocketed them, still noting the presence of two guards by the door. Then, he shifted his focus back to Yugi, one last question still weighing on his mind. Atem decided right then and there that he liked to gamble far too much.

"The two men?"

Yugi watched Atem, eyes no longer on fire but still simmering. After a moment of consideration, Yugi broke their eye contact to stare off at the side wall instead. "I don't know their names. I never knew any of their names." Yugi's voice was harder than before. "And I never did get in the habit of collecting trophies."

Atem felt his chest constrict ever-so-slightly. "So, a whole lot of nothing?"

Yugi didn't even blink. "Did you really expect anything else?"

"No," Atem answered, honestly. "I guess I didn't."

Atem stood to his feet, the sound of the legs of the chair against the floor foreshadowing his exit to come. He collected his belongings and had only taken one step towards the door when Yugi's voice floated to his ears once again.

"You said Exit 14?"

Atem turned back around to Yugi, eyebrows furrowing due to his surprise by the question. He nodded and waited for Yugi to continue.

"I spent a lot of time at Duke's Bar," the sociopath informed the psychologist. "They might recognize them - or at least know if any of their regulars have suddenly vanished off the face of the earth."

Even after it was clear that that was all Yugi was going to say on the matter, Atem stayed glued in his spot. He was genuinely confused. Sociopaths didn't willingly help the police or anyone associated with any branch of the legal system, unless of course there was some kind of benefit in it for them. Why was Yugi telling him this? What did he have to gain from this?

Yugi must have seen his struggle to reconcile this all written on his face, for the smaller man turned in his chair completely to look at Atem. "It does not matter to me if you identify them," Yugi said, icily. "I'm not telling you this because I want to help you or because I want to give 'closure' to their families." Yugi tilted his head to the side. "Don't you see? It's all very simple," he said, looking back towards the wall, the piercing pearl eyes leaving Atem's face. "I just don't fucking care."

It took a few seconds but Atem eventually nodded, accepting Yugi's explanation for the time being, but putting it on the back-burner to bring up with Malik later on. He began to retreat to the safety of the adjoining room, mentally patting himself on the back for his ability to remain in control and keep himself from verbalizing much of his reactiveness throughout the interview.

He didn't realize that Yugi was not quite done yet.

"See you soon, _Atem_."

That did it.

Genuine surprise playing with the tiniest tendrils of fear that forced Atem to visibly falter in his steps. He spun around, perhaps a little too quickly, to stare at the sociopath. "How did you – ?"

"_Don't_ insult me," Yugi said, shooting him a side glare with a subtle raise of a brow - a look that conveyed a clear message to Atem.

_'Are you having fun yet?'_

* * *

><p><em>To Be Continued...<em>

* * *

><p>AN: Please review! And I hope you all have a lovely New Years! See you in 2015!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the reviews all! They mean so much to me! :) Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Shadow &amp; A Dancer<strong>

Chapter 3

* * *

><p>The next month was nothing short of hell for Atem.<p>

Never in his twenty nine years of life had he met someone quite as maddening as Yugi. He swore that the man was making_ him_ crazy at this point. And it was all due to their disastrous meetings of epic proportions that had only ever ended in one of two ways: either with Atem fuming in his own invisible bubble of vexation for the entire rest of the day or with Yugi agitated to the severity of requiring either meds or (twice now) five-point restraints.

How many times, Atem thought to himself, had he stalked into Malik's office, his hands fisted in his hair, and proclaimed that he would sooner quit his job and move to another country – no, another _continent_ – than ever meet with Yugi again? And how many times had that godforsaken little shit told him that if he ever saw Atem's face again that he would break Atem's fingers off one by one and _feed_ them to him?

Atem paused in his pacing to readjust the ice pack that he was holding to the sore underside of the back of his head, an injury caused by Yugi's latest stunt two days earlier when Yugi – the little infuriating asshole that he was – shot his body down and underneath the table at lightning speed and hooked his feet around the legs of Atem's chair, flipping the psychologist over and knocking Atem out cold for a full minute. By the time Atem had come to, Yugi was bent over the table, face down, and being held in place by five federal prison guards, while a nurse attempted to stick him in the arm with a sedative.

And then, of course, _there_ was Yugi, laughing his fucking head off the _entire_ time.

Well, at least, until he had succumbed to the meds.

Atem inwardly scowled at the memory, finding only a small amount of comfort in the fact that Yugi would now be sporting matching cuffs around his ankles in all their future meetings. _Dick_.

Atem resumed his pacing in front of his supervisor's desk, almost as if his sole intent was to create a divet in the carpeted floor. All the while, Malik was doing quite an award-worthy job of ignoring his silently seething protégé in favor of typing up Atem's most recent notes to incorporate into Motou's electronic files.

Throughout the past month, safety precautions had been put into place to ensure Atem's well-being in the face of Yugi's ever-growing volatility – all of which seemed to do little to deter the sociopath given the events that unfolded in this most recent meeting. For starters, two guards were now always posted by the door inside the consult room to ensure that Yugi was able to be quickly subdued if he were ever to escalate to physical aggression ('_A__ lot of fucking good that did'_, Atem had spat at Malik only hours after Yugi had bashed his head into the hardwood floor).

In addition, the warden implemented a new daily schedule for Yugi to adhere to in order to keep Bakura – a previous client of Atem's, infamous for his grudge-holding ability and psychopathy – and Yugi separated during yard time after it had come to light that Bakura had been feeding Yugi intel about Atem.

If this had been any other case, any other client, Atem would've been pulled weeks ago. But Yugi was smart. He was as clever as they came, and he knew how to play the game. During each meeting, Yugi made sure to divulge selective information regarding his life and his crimes to Atem – just enough info, in fact, that the chain of command (Malik included) couldn't justify terminating the sessions just yet. _What did Yugi have to gain from disclosing information to him?_ Atem had asked himself not long ago.

Attention, card games, and the ability to ruin Atem's day.

That's what the little fucker got.

It actually drove Atem positively mad once he realized exactly what Yugi was doing, and he sometimes became pretty persistent in his refusal to ever meet with the sociopath again following one of their surely chaotic sessions. However, in his moments of clarity and calm, Atem was very attuned to the fact that this was the case of the century, an opportunity of a lifetime for someone in his field, and he would be a fool to not take advantage of it.

But goddamn, Yugi was _off his fucking rocker_ half the time. Especially, Atem had noted both mentally and in his notes, as of this last week. Which was interesting given Yugi's sudden influx of vocalized complaints in regards to his increasing exhaustion and sleep-deprivation. In fact, the more tired Yugi complained of being, the more manic he seemed to become.

A low wince escaped Atem's lips when, in all his musings, he pressed the ice pack a little too harshly against the still tender spot on the back of his head.

"I'm gonna kill him," Atem hissed, removing the cold compress all together and tossing it down on the round table in the center of the room.

Malik, pen wedged in between his teeth, didn't even spare him a glance. "You'd be saving the taxpayers a shit ton of money," he offered, attempting to placate the other man. "When is your next meeting with him?"

"God if I know," Atem muttered, slinking down onto one of the red-cushioned chairs across from his supervisor. "He told me if I ever tried to meet with him again, he'd break my face in."

"He certainly tried to."

Atem shot him a glare. "Not funny." But in another universe, maybe even in another time frame, Atem would've found this all hysterical. He exhaled a long breath through his nose. "I'm thinking about taking a vacation," he mumbled.

Malik finally glanced away from his laptop screen to look at him. "That's nice. Where to?"

"Frankly, I don't really care. Though, preferably somewhere sunny." _And s__omewhere far, far away from wide violet-eyed sociopaths._

Malik nodded and let his eyes wander back to the bright screen. "Something to look forward to after this all blows over, I suppose."

Atem raised an eyebrow at the obvious miscommunication. "Oh, no, I meant like... next week."

"No can do, 'Tem," the supervisor tisked.

"And why the hell not?" Atem snapped even though he already knew the answer. "I have more than enough vacation days accrued."

Malik slid his gaze towards him and gave Atem his best '_Don't be an idiot'_ stare.

But Atem returned the look with a hardened glare of his own, making the decision to stand his ground even though he knew it was futile. Honestly, at this point, he really just wanted to argue for the sake of arguing in hopes that it would relieve some of his pent up frustrations that, like his vacation days, had been accruing these past few weeks. From what he could tell, Malik saw right through him for his supervisor was more than happy to oblige him in picking a fight.

"I'm sorry, were _you_ going to be the one to tell Motou that you're taking an impromptu vacation?" Malik questioned, his tone emphasizing the absurdity of Atem's request. "He is unstable on a daily basis _as is, _and I certainly won't be the one to tell him that you're pulling a Houdini. You _know_ that you are the only person he will speak to. Seriously though, who would you expect me to send in your place?"

"God, send in Seto for all I care."

"Ha, one of them would be dead by the end of the session and you know it. And, not that your ego needs anymore stroking, but I honestly don't trust anyone else with this case." Malik began his typing again, signaling his inevitable victory. "No, you're stuck with him until he has nothing left to contribute."

Atem knew that if he wanted to, he could easily go over Malik's head. Nowhere in his job description did it include a stipulation that he had to tolerate verbal (and sometimes physical) assault from his clients. At this point, he had more than enough grounds to refer Yugi to another psychologist. But Yugi's case, as prolific and infamous as it was, would be referred to in both textbooks and training seminars alike for decades to come. Atem would have to be insane to relinquish such an opportunity to someone else and Malik, being the great supervisor and even better friend that he was, wasn't going to allow Atem the chance to do so.

But even still, Atem wanted to protest at least one more time. Just for shits and giggles and pent-up frustrations sake. "But Yugi is _always_ going to have something else to contribute. He knows exactly what he has to do and say to get me to come back. Oh, and let's not forget that it's only been three months since his sentencing. The average length of stay on death row at that prison is five _years_. This could literally go on _forever._"

"Okay, first off, its not _my_ fault that your little sociopath wants to string you along for the ride. Secondly, the nationwide average for time spent on death row is _fifteen_ years, so you should count your blessings. And lastly, don't use the word _literally_ figuratively. You know how much of a pet peeve of mine that is."

"Ugh! Alright, alright." Atem raised his hands in defeat, his expression beyond exasperated. "But mark my words, Malik. He will be the end of me."

"Uh-huh," Malik mumbled, turning his attention to his now shrieking desk phone. He already wasn't going home on time today given the shitload of paperwork he had to review, document, and sign off on. Add Atem's pissy mood into the mix, and Malik's patience was wearing as thin as a sheet of nearly cracked ice. At this very moment, the shrilling wail of the device was like an ugly reminder of all he still had to do and was the sole reason why he tore the phone from its holder and, with a snap equivalent to a rubber band breaking, hissed a harsh "_What_?" into the receiver.

There was a minute of silence, as Malik listened to the words filtering through the phone. Atem, slumped over in his chair, was barely paying him any attention at this point, his focus only partly on the muffled words filling the air around Malik's head. It was only when Malik's expression took on a gravely serious edge that Atem's attention honed in sharply on his supervisor.

"Okay," Malik murmured into the phone, his face having lost some of its color. "I got it."

Atem waited until Malik had slowly placed the phone back in its holder to speak. "What is it?" he asked, concerned.

"It's Motou," Malik replied almost immediately, his voice quiet and just a bit too tight, as if someone had stretched a brand new rubber band just for him. "He's requesting to see you."

"Ah. Right. Of course he is." _Fickle fuck that he was_. Atem pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "I'll meet him in the - "

"He's in the hole."

Atem let his hand fall from his face to blink up at Malik. "Solitary?" he clarified. "Why, what did he do?"

But Malik's face said it all.

"Oh _god_, what did he _do_?"

* * *

><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

* * *

><p>The M.P. Federal Prison, nestled in the center of a lush landscape filled with winter greens and autumn reds, bordered just on the outskirts of Domino City. The newer addition to the host of federal prisons spread out throughout the United States was well-known for its more contemporary appearance and modern amenities. Cells were a tad wider, painted cement walls a touch brighter, and prisoners markedly more well-behaved due to the incentive program that the entire prison operated upon. Even Death Row was run on a modified, less restrictive schedule with inmates housed in this section of the prison allowed six hours of out time compared with the two to four hours granted at similar penitentiaries.<p>

Contrary to initial beliefs that such freedoms and leniencies would make the number of injuries and deaths skyrocket, the M.P. Federal Prison made waves across the country for reporting record-breaking numbers for the lowest incidence rates of... well, incidents. People were flabbergasted at first by the results of such a novel systematic design but, when it came down to it, it simply was human psychology at its best. When compared to other prisons, the inmates at M.P. had access to cleaner showers, more comfortable bedding, and higher quality food. They earned privileges for good behaviors, such as computer usage, longer visitation hours, or extra time in the yard. It all came down to a simple formula, really.

Happier prisoners made for more cooperative prisoners.

However, at the end of the day, it was still an establishment that housed thieves, rapists, and murderers alike. That being so, there was another section of the prison – a carved out little piece of the building reserved solely for those inmates restricted to solitary confinement, where prisoners were kept locked in their noticeably less furnished and spacious cells from twenty-three to twenty-four hours a day.

It was in this section of the prison that Atem had found himself in, standing in front of one of the sliding metal cell doors with Malik by his side, as he peered into a small eye-level slot secured tightly with a layer of see-through plexiglass. The cell itself was equipped only with the necessities: a concrete bed covered by a mattress that stuck out of the side wall, a small, unmovable stool on the opposite side, and a stainless steel toilet and sink tucked away in the farthest corner. And there, stalking back and forth between the walls, violet eyes darker than Atem had ever seen and terrifyingly hollow, was Yugi.

"He murdered four inmates and one of the guards."

Atem didn't make a move to acknowledge the prison administrator next to him for two reasons. The first is that he was already aware of what Yugi had done to end up here. The second and more important reason was because he couldn't tear his attention away from Yugi's downcasted blank stare for even a second.

The spark, that fire that always seemed to brighten up those all-consuming amethyst eyes... it was just gone. Not flickering, not fading away. Gone. Extinguished. Lifeless. Dead.

They were just completely and utterly… empty.

And the way that look, those eyes, churned and twisted at his insides was the single most unsettling feeling Atem had ever known.

"I need to speak with him," Atem spoke, only then turning his attention and gaze, albeit reluctantly, to address the administrator. "Now."

"Motou is not allowed any visitors at this time," the burly man replied without hesitation. "Warden's orders."

Without his conscious consent, Atem bristled. "Yugi requested to speak with me. I am his psychologist. You cannot deny his right to see me."

"The last time I checked, legal counsel was the only one with that privilege. Sorry you made the trip," even though he clearly wasn't, "but until I get the green light from above, no one goes in here."

Atem opened his mouth to argue, but one look from Malik stopped him in his tracks. So, literally biting his tongue (and this time, he actually meant that he had to clamp his teeth around his tongue to keep himself from further protesting), Atem shifted his focus back to Yugi, the man who, in all his unnatural composure, was taking long, precise strides back and forth within the small cell with what could only be described as a sort of eerie gracefulness. He looked so different -even his hair seemed wilder, more unkept and tousled than Atem had previously thought was possible. There was something so off with the image, so unbalanced about it all, that Atem felt as if the very floor he was standing on had slanted.

Atem could have lost himself in the surrealness of it all, and he sort of did. At least, until Yugi had reached the corner of the room, pivoted on his feet, and raised his head to meet his gaze.

Atem's throat itched with a trapped breath when those unblinking, bone-chilling eyes found his and, in that very moment, Atem didn't recognize Yugi - that gaze he had become so accustomed to, so familiar with the past month, suddenly was a sight he'd never seen before. Atem felt his need to breathe intensify, but he couldn't force himself to inhale – especially not when Yugi titled his head to the side and, with a smile slowly splitting his face in half, waved at him.

* * *

><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

* * *

><p>Despite his multiple confrontations with the warden throughout the week, it was a full ten days before Atem was allowed to see Yugi.<p>

The sociopath now under strict orders to remain in his quarters at all times (other than to bathe), Atem felt as if he had no other choice when he walked into Yugi's cell, red flags swinging and alarms blaring, even with the two federal prison guards accompanying him.

When the metal door slid open, Atem's eyes immediately locked onto the bed Yugi was lying on, the younger man gazing at the cracks in the ceiling with his hands resting comfortably on his stomach and his right leg bent at the knee so that the bottom of his foot was pressed flat against the mattress. The gray prison jumpsuit Yugi always wore was more wrinkled than usual, and his skin paler than he remembered. But Atem inhaled a deep breath (of relief?) anyways when those tired purple eyes wandered down from the ceiling to look at him, that spark they so often held barely visible under the clouds of exhaustion. But it was definitely there.

Yugi only held his gaze for a moment, before peering back up at the ceiling.

"Well, look at what the cat dragged in and pissed all over."

Atem didn't even bother to shake his head at the greeting. "Nice to see you, too," he said, before he gestured to the guards. "They need to - "

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Still lying down and gaze upwards, Yugi raised his hands in the air, pressing the inside of his wrists together over his head.

Taking the cue as that of compliance, the guards moved forward with the utmost caution, and clicked a shiny pair of handcuffs around Yugi's wrists, doing the same around his ankles once Yugi had lowered his bent leg.

Atem watched this all from the door, silent in his observation. He subconsciously stood a little straighter when the guards backed away from Yugi and half-turned to address him.

"Do you want us to stay? It is up to you."

Atem felt this weird urge to tell them that if they did stay then their presence would just be for show; that if Yugi wanted to get to Atem, to any of them, then he would do so. But Atem didn't say that. Instead, he politely declined and watched as the metal door slid open again to let the guards escape what was surely some fucked up version of a death trap. He must have looked crazy, he mused. They must have thought he was absolutely batshit insane to agree to be alone in a room with Yugi after what had just happened. Honestly, in the momentary silence that filled the cell following their departure, he was reconsidering the decision himself. He must be losing his goddamn mind.

Even with eyes still glued to the ceiling, Yugi read him like a book. "No worries, doc," he spoke, lifting his now bound hands in the air once more. "I'm cuffed."

"You've proven on multiple occasions that the cuffs are very much irrelevant," Atem muttered, telling Yugi what they both already knew. "If you desire to do so, you _will_ try to hurt me."

"True," Yugi assented. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "But I am currently lacking a desire to do so. I am rather... spent at the moment."

Never in any of their previous interactions had Atem ever seen Yugi so mellow, so calm. He wasn't sure if the other's lack of energy made him feel better or worse, but he did allow his body to lose some of its rigidity. Even so, his instincts and defenses remained on high alert, as he was painfully aware of the haphazardness of the situation, the potential for it all to go very, very wrong.

Atem made the decision to settle onto the stool to his close left. He made a mental note that even though it was on the complete opposite side of the cell from the bed, Yugi could have reached him in three steps. Easy.

"You've created quite a mess for yourself," Atem began wearily.

"Oh, well, what's another few charges on my sheet? Besides, I've already been sentenced to death. What _more_ can they do to me?"

"Take away all your privileges, isolate you from everyone, keep you locked in a cell 23 hours a day," Atem said, listing off the immediate few that came to mind.

Yugi only shrugged. "I don't much like other people. I don't think I'll mind the hole all that much."

Atem noticed with a bit of latent surprise that Yugi had yet to look at him again since his entrance. "Yugi," he said, trying to see if he could get the sociopath to meet his gaze, but to no avail. "What happened last week?"

Yugi's response was immediate. "I didn't get enough sleep."

"_What?_"

"I get ridiculously cranky when I'm tired, pet. You would think you would know that given that I knocked you out cold at our last meeting. To be honest, I'm surprised you're even here. I didn't think I'd be seeing you again after that."

"But you saw me..." Atem trailed off. That didn't make any sense. Yugi clearly saw him last week when Atem had attempted to meet with him the day that Yugi had been moved down to solitary. "Wait, when did you last see me again?"

"Oh geez, are you getting old, doc?" Yugi hissed, finally sparing a brief annoyed look his way. "Last week, you tool. When I tried and _clearly_ succeeded in giving you a concussion."

Atem blinked. "You mean, you don't remember seeing me down here last Wednesday?" Atem tilted his lips, eyes squinting with hints of confusion. "You looked right at me," he reminded, slowly. "You _waved_ at me."

Yugi hesitated, his expression momentarily cracking to show a flicker of recognition. But he was able to compose himself so quickly that his lapse in the conversation would have surely gone unnoticed by untrained eyes and ears. "I guess you're just not that memorable," he mumbled, scoff-like, looking up and away from the psychologist again.

Atem paused for a minute, a testament to the fact that he wasn't buying it. "Yugi," he spoke again, brows furrowed. "Do you ever find yourself losing track of time?"

"Nope," Yugi quipped, smacking his lips together.

But Atem sensed bullshit like a sixth sense. "Yugi, I'm serious. Have you ever... experienced blackouts before? Like waking up somewhere and not knowing how you got there? Or being in one place one minute and - "

"Doc, I am_ so_ not in the mood for this shit."

"You know, to be honest Yugi, neither am I," Atem suddenly snapped, surprising both of them. "Those inmates you killed, that _guard_ you killed, they had families. They were fathers, brothers, and sons. Now I don't expect you to give a damn, but at least acknowledge that I am trying to find a better answer as to why they had to die beyond you just not getting your fucking beauty sleep."

In the silence that followed, Yugi finally ripped his gaze away from the ceiling and, placing both hands on the mattress beside his chest, he swung his legs off the edge of the bed and pushed himself up and into a sitting position. When he looked at Atem again, his eyes were still tired, but they were now holding onto the dullest of glitters.

"Ha," Yugi exhaled, and it almost sounded like a sigh. "You know, no one has ever talked to me the way you do..." He rolled his shoulders, loosening the muscles there. "No one is foolish enough to."

Atem pursed his lips, his body stiffening on its own accord at Yugi's change in position. "Uhh.. is this supposed to be some kind of compliment?"

"No. You're just a fucking idiot."

"Yeah," Atem muttered with a barely noticeable roll of his eyes. "Figures that was where this was heading."

Yugi chuckled and shot Atem his most amused and engaging smile and, despite all his effort to do so, Atem couldn't catch the thought before it entered his mind: how could a man this innocently radiant, _this_ stunningly beautiful, cause so much destruction? Be the reason for so much despair? The senseless violence that occurred last week, the loss of lives without logic or rationality, was the way of the sociopath. But still, Atem couldn't stop himself when the one word question slipped past his lips and into the air around them.

"Why?"

Yugi regarded him for a moment, eyes flickering like purple embers with chaotic blue swirls, and then in the most curious of tones asked him, "Why not?"

* * *

><p><em>To Be Continued...<em>

* * *

><p>AN: Please review!

Also, I am hoping to get the _Best Puzzleshipping Story_ _contest_ up and running again by next month. You can find the link to it on my profile. Come join your fellow puzzleshippers, become a judge, nominate stories, or just chat! :) Hope to see you there!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! :)

* * *

><p><strong>Shadow &amp; A Dancer<strong>

Chapter 4

* * *

><p>"Tell me about your childhood."<p>

"What's there to tell?"

"Well. Do you remember your parents?"

"I don't want to talk about them."

"So, yes then?"

"Your persistence chips away at my nonexistent patience, doc." An annoyed sigh. "Yes, I remember them."

"Is it hard for you to talk about them?"

"No. They just have nothing to do with this."

"One's childhood and the manner in which they were raised often shapes the way they perceive the world; their attitudes, their ideals, their morals. Your background is a vital - "

"Sounds like a whole lot of bull and a way for you shrinks to find someone to blame when bad things happen. Contrary to what some may think, my parents were good people. Foolishly kind. Stupidly carefree." A loose shrug. "There's no one to blame for why I am the way I am, darling."

"I'm not looking for someone to blame, Yugi. I'm just trying to get a better understanding of how you were brought up and how your environment influenced and impacted the person you are today." A tentative pause. "Do you remember the accident?"

"For fuck's sake. New topic. _Now_."

"Okay then. What would you like to discuss today?"

A sly smile. Wicked even. "You."

"Again? You already know far more about me than I think is appropriate."

The statement was ignored. "Why aren't you afraid of me, Atem?"

Reframe and deflect. "Is it important to you that people are afraid of you?"

"No. I'm just curious." The handcuffs clinked together as his hands moved to shuffle a deck of cards. "You remind me of Jou."

"Jou? Your foster brother?"

"Yeah, he was always sticking his nose where it didn't belong. Oh, he was a peach alright."

"Well, we took the scenic route, but I'm glad that we're back to your childhood."

"You're a fucking riot, you know that?"

A raise of an eyebrow. "Pot, much?"

"Only if you're my kettle."

The urge to roll his eyes was strong. "Tell me more about Jou. You two were close, right?"

"I guess so."

"I heard that he came to court every day during your trial."

"You know, I honestly couldn't tell you. Really wasn't paying attention all that much."

"Well, could you talk a bit about what your relationship with him was like prior to your arrest?"

"No."

"Could you try?"

"Hell no."

A frustrated blink. "Are you intentionally being stubborn?"

"Why, of course, my dear." A flick of his wrist. "But I'm bored again. New topic."

"But - "

"You know, they say that long exposure to solitary confinement makes people crazy… or _crazier_. Apparently, lots of inmates start seeing things. Others hear voices. Some can't deal with the isolation, so they take matters in their own hands and off themselves. It's rumored that their spirits roam these very cells, because their souls are trapped and forever at unrest."

"I don't believe in ghost stories, Yugi."

The sociopath's eyes lit up like purple fire. "You should."

* * *

><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

* * *

><p>Yugi's erratic behavior had stabilized some in the weeks that followed his deadly assault of four fellow inmates and one federal prison guard.<p>

Sessions weren't nearly as volatile, and Yugi presented as more calm and markedly less manic than he had just prior to the attacks. Malik proposed to him that Yugi's decrease in aggression was due to his release of what one could only assume were months and months of pent-up hostility, given the fact that Yugi hadn't been able to indulge in his murderous fantasies since his arrest. Even so, the change in behavior and affect came as a surprise to Atem and, for one reason or another, he found himself not quite satisfied with the explanation his supervisor had provided him with.

Ever since Yugi's move to solitary, Atem had been placed on a specific schedule as determined by both Malik and the prison warden. Before, he had been meeting with Yugi two to three times a week. But now, he was only allowed to meet with Yugi once a week which, to everyone's credit, was working out well for both psychologist and sociopath. Yugi seemed to function better on a set schedule, and he appeared more hesitant to act out or to abruptly end sessions with the understanding that if he did so then Atem wouldn't be able to return for another week.

And Atem, well, he found the extra time in between sessions refreshing, which put him in an overall better mood and thinking space when the time came to meet with Yugi again.

The lighter schedule also gave Atem more time to process and make sense of the bond he found himself developing with Yugi, despite how downright infuriating the man could be. Now, the actual act of bonding with a client was nothing new to Atem. In fact, in his field, it was called 'therapeutic rapport', and it came with the territory when you spent weeks and sometimes months on end having someone (however reluctantly) open up to you and share the deepest and darkest parts of their lives with you. It was often something that people outside his field found hard to swallow - after all, who could find any middle ground, any connection, with a psychopath, with a serial killer? Over time, he had found it easier to avoid or ignore questions like these all together, as it had become clear that only someone in his position, in his shoes, could truly understand the inexplicable normalcy in connecting with someone who was so unlike you and so against everything you stood for.

So, no, it wasn't the bond itself that bothered him, but instead it was his recognition that the bond he shared with Yugi felt slightly different in nature than those he had formed in the past with previous clients. To be honest, he didn't exactly know _how_ it was different or _why_ it was different. He just knew that it was, and sometimes he felt compelled to just leave it at that.

He and Yugi had now gotten to a point in their relationship with one another that it almost felt like there existed an unspoken contract between them - one that was never actually verbalized but, at the same time, had been agreed upon. It was an implicit understanding that enabled Atem (for an _impressive_ lack of better words) to feel safe in Yugi's presence, even in the face of verbal threats or menacing gestures. Atem felt as though the contract had stipulated somewhere in the fine print that he was off-limits; that he was not allowed to be harmed.

Of course, this gut feeling all waged war with the instinctual knowledge that Yugi was, at his core, a mentally disturbed individual. As a sociopath, Atem was aware that Yugi was bound by no law, no contract, no oath, and that he would most likely not think twice in hurting Atem if he so wished to.

But that was the thing.

At times, it almost seemed as if Yugi didn't _want_ to hurt Atem.

Atem sighed and shook his head, trying to rid himself of this rather ludicrous line of thinking as he raised his arms and allowed one of the federal prison guards to scan his limbs with a metal detector. However, to his dismay, the shaking head motion brought with it a new bunch of muddled thoughts, because beyond all of this, what Atem genuinely struggled with week in and week out was his inability to reconcile the playfully chaotic, impulsive, and charming Yugi he had come to know with the murderous, heartless sociopath that Atem knew he really was. After all, he had seen the pictures, he had heard the stories, he had witnessed the emotionless and haunting expression on Yugi's face in the devastating aftermath of his most recent murders. So then, why did he find it so difficult to accept that these two sides of Yugi were one in the same?

And why did Yugi shut him down every time Atem dared to bring up the sociopath's suspected blackouts?

* * *

><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

* * *

><p>The key to Yugi's heart - or rather, his defenses - were games.<p>

Despite his incessant complaining whenever Atem suggested they play a few rounds of cards, it didn't take a genius to notice how Yugi's mood almost immediately brightened and his willingness to discuss his past nearly doubled at the prospect. It had become a sort of strategy that Atem had utilized whenever Yugi was becoming increasingly difficult or disengaged, and it had an approximate 70% success rate which Atem would gladly take any day. In fact, given that Atem had won their last game, he fully expected Yugi to request a rematch today, knowing by now that Yugi was quite the competitive freak of nature.

As Atem walked down the prison corridor, he realized that it had been almost three weeks since Yugi had last lashed out at him. It was a realization that took him by surprise. So much so that when he walked into Yugi's cell to see the man sitting cross-legged on the floor, head tilted and staring up at him with what Atem could only describe as a quizzical look, Atem couldn't help but point it out.

"You know, you haven't threatened me in _weeks._" Atem could've laughed at the absurdity of it all. "My little sociopath must be going soft."

Atem did not have time to comprehend his royal slip up, the use of the word _'my'_, for Yugi had suddenly burst into a loud fit of chuckles, the action causing the lilac eyes to glitter. "If you miss it so much, I'd be happy to oblige," he managed.

"Ah, too happy I think."

"Perhaps." Yugi beckoned to the open space on the floor in front of him with his cuffed hands - the bonds having been placed _prior_ to Atem's entrance into Yugi's cell a rule that Malik had _mandated_ in order to prevent any mishaps. "Sit." Yugi's smile was that of mischief. "You owe me a rematch."

Atem obliged, lowering himself onto the floor by the door so that he could lean his back against it. He figured it also helped to be close to it in case Yugi decided to break their contract.

Under the scrutiny of the prisoner, Atem reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a regular deck of cards, as Yugi had already gotten bored of the Duel Monsters cards he used to carry on his person. Atem couldn't blame him though. Especially not after the twenty-third time Yugi had wiped the floor with him.

Atem began to deal the cards in silence, unsure of how to approach his intended topic of the day.

"So."

Well, that was a start.

Yugi peered up at him from underneath a curtain of silky blond bangs. "Oh, well, don't go getting shy on me now, precious."

Atem visibly scowled at the pet name, even though he was honestly used to it at this point. "I want to talk about your emergency room visit a few months prior to your arrest," he opened, quietly.

Atem's expert eyes caught on to the way a card almost slipped from Yugi's hand; on to the way Yugi's expression hardened two-fold. "That's boring," the sociopath countered. "Surely, you have more interesting things you want to ask me."

The number one thing Atem had learned about Yugi was that the younger needed _constant_ redirection. He rarely ever stuck to Atem's line of questioning, either digressing on the subject or just blatantly ignoring Atem's questions all together (or just telling Atem to shut the fuck up). But, in order to achieve any sort of semblance of a successful meeting, Atem often had to push Yugi in the right direction and just hope that the push back Yugi gave wasn't hard enough to kill him.

"You overdosed on sleeping pills," Atem said, careful and open in his mannerisms, while he fanned his cards out in front of him.

"It was an accident." Yugi shrugged and picked up a card from the remainder of the deck placed in between them. "Didn't realize how many I had taken."

"The doctor estimated that you consumed over forty tablets. Forgive me, but that doesn't sound accidental to me. In fact, it sounds very intentional."

"Pah." Yugi rolled his eyes and discarded a seven of clubs. "You shrinks are all the same. You know, not _everyone_ is trying to kill themselves."

"I'm not talking about everyone, Yugi. I'm talking about you." Atem tried to give his voice a softer edge, as he regarded the man across from him. "Did you try to kill yourself that night?"

"No."

"The psychiatrist on-call believed you did."

"The psychiatrist on-call can suck my dick."

"Yugi - "

"God, sometimes I wish I could just staple your mouth shut. That way I could just enjoy looking at you without having to hear you talk."

"I suppose I should count my blessings then that they do not allow staplers in solitary confinement."

"Don't go counting your blessings just yet, doc." Yugi winked at Atem, his lips curving into a smirk. "I've been told on more than one occasion that I am awfully creative."

Atem consciously leaned further back against the door to increase the space between them, only then noticing the bandages on the surface of both of Yugi's palms. "What's this now?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

Yugi didn't need to follow his gaze to know what he was referring to. "Nothing."

Atem didn't believe him, and Yugi frankly couldn't be bothered to come up with a better explanation.

Atem sighed and held out his hands. "May I see them?"

"No."

"Yugi."

Even to his own ears, it sounded like a warning, however unintentional the tone was.

Yugi blinked at him, before the pearl eyes narrowed to pin him with a glare. But Yugi complied anyways, placing his cards face down on the floor by his hip and holding open his hands to settle them on top of Atem's. The psychologist had to focus intently on the white gauze lined with traces of blood so that he could readily ignore how warm and soft Yugi's hands were in his and how they fit into the curve of his palm and fingers like puzzle pieces. He raised his eyes back up to Yugi to ask him what had happened, but when he opened his mouth, all the words he had meant to speak lost themselves in the sight before him.

Because it was at that very moment, with Yugi's eyes locked onto his, that the corners of Yugi's irises cracked and _real, raw, genuine emotions_ leaked into their outer edges, bleeding into those stormy purple eyes just enough to shine through like sun.

And fucking Christ if it wasn't the most heart-stopping, mind-reeling, and breath-stealing sight Atem had ever seen.

But then it was gone, and Yugi's eyes filled with another scarier emotion that terrified Atem in all the wrong kind of ways.

Panic.

"Get out!" Yugi hissed, ripping his hands out of Atem's and holding them to his own chest.

Atem was on his feet in an instant. But then again, so was Yugi.

"_Hey there,_" Atem soothed, raising his hands in a calming motion to placate the man. "Let's stay calm, Yugi. Everything's oka - "

"I said, _get out_!" And to Atem's relief and utter confusion, Yugi was backing away from him.

"Okay, just tell me - "

"Now."

"But I -"

"_Please_."

Atem froze.

And it wasn't until the metal door slid open and guards flooded the room to usher Atem back out into the corridor that he was able to break out of his paralyzed state and snap his slackened jaw back into place.

What the_ actual fuck_ just happened?

* * *

><p><em>To Be Continued...<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Reviews appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I love this chapter, because I LOVE the YGO side characters, as evidenced by my other fics. However, as most of them do not play major roles in this fic, I haven't really had a chance to use them all that much. That being said, this chapter was a joy for me to write.

Thank you for all the reviews! Much appreciated! :) Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Shadow &amp; A Dancer<strong>

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>It happened again.<p>

The volatile and charming asshole that Atem had met with week in and week out had somehow been replaced by another well-composed and silently lethal version of himself that Atem had only witnessed once before - well over a month ago now.

The Yugi he knew was as lurid and all-consuming as thunder. But the man in the cell currently laying down sideways on the bed propped up on his elbow, book in hand, and one leg bent at the knee, was as blinding and deadly as lightning. The sight of those empty indigo eyes and that all-too-familiar fatal smile slitting across those cheeks caused a wave of nausea to crash against the lining in Atem's stomach.

He was almost relieved when the warden had refused to let him meet with Yugi the day following Yugi's bizarre outburst (and thus violate the once per week arrangement) for if the warden would've allowed him access to Yugi's cell, Atem would've felt similar to a soldier going into battle without actually knowing who the enemy was.

One could make the argument that he knew Yugi better than anyone in his field, but that obviously meant jack shit when it came to confronting this darker side of the sociopath. He honestly didn't even know where to begin, and that sentiment in itself is what made him realize that he needed to talk to someone who knew Yugi below the devastatingly cold, sharp, and playful exterior that Atem had come to know on the surface. He needed someone who could tell him about the open and intimate nature of Yugi before he became the man sitting in that cell. He needed...

"Jou."

The blond flight pilot's eyes snapped up to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry, can ya repeat that?" Jou straightened his posture so that he was no longer slouched back in his chair. Hands settling around the ceramic coffee mug in front of him, Jou flashed the forensic psychologist a sheepish grin from across the old wooden table covered in an outdated cloth. "I zoned out for a minute there."

"That's quite alright." Atem took a sip of home-brewed coffee from the mug Jou had offered him shortly after Atem had arrived at his home to request an interview. To Atem's surprise, Jou had agreed to sit down with him right then and there, which brought them to their current spots, sitting across each other at the table in Jou's quaint little dining room, drinking coffee and discussing things that made the air around them take on an uneasy edge.

Upon entry to Jou's home, Atem noticed with a keen eye the way in which all the pilot's mess had been delegated to the corners of the home, and he didn't miss the newspaper clippings littering the bureaus in his living room - all of which concerned Yugi in some way or another, no doubt. As he sat across Jou and observed the blond's mannerisms, Atem considered how much older Jou looked than his stated age of twenty-five, as evidenced by the creases marring the corners of his tired amber eyes. Before the toll that this all had taken on him, Atem assumed that those eyes were once a stunning bright autumn color.

"I asked you how old you were when you first met Yugi," Atem repeated, crossing his right leg over his left knee and resting his notepad on his thigh.

"Oh, um, let's see, I was sixteen when my foster parents took Yugi in. He had just turned fifteen."

"What was your relationship like back then?"

"Well, I'm not gonna lie, I really didn't like him at first. He was short, sweet, and damaged - my foster parents couldn't wait to take him in and fix him. They completely coddled him. I guess they were tryin' to make up for him losin' his parents and all. I know this sounds petty now but, at the time, I hated him for takin' all our parents' attention away from me. Honda did, too."

"Honda?"

"He's our older foster brother."

"And where is Honda now?"

"Who knows?" Jou snorted. "He split after Yug' got convicted. Didn't want to be associated with the case. I guess I can't really blame him."

No, Atem guessed no one really could. "I heard you went to court every day during Yugi's trial. So, you didn't always hate him, right?"

"Yug'? No, no, that was a brief stint of siblin' jealousy, I guess. Don't get me wrong, I tried to hate him for a long time when he first came to live with us. But Yug'... well, he had this way of lookin' at you, like right into your soul. And you think his eyes are big now? Man, you should have seen him with some baby fat on that face." Jou let out a hoarse little chuckle. "Anyways, he slowly broke me down. And afta' that, well, we were pretty much inseparable."

Atem acknowledged the fondness in Jou's voice with a small smile. "Can you describe his personality for me around this time?"

"Ugh, he had this terrible knack for bein'_ too_ nice. No matter who it was or what they did to him, he'd always help or forgive or lend a hand. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. Wouldn't even defend himself in high school when he got bullied. Honda and I went to the same school, so it wasn't too big of a deal, since we didn't let anyone mess with him too much. But man, sometimes he'd drive me crazy with how kind he was. Even durin' college, he reminded me of this little kid, y'know? Just so naive. I think people took advantage of him for that. That boy's heart was bigger than his brain sometimes."

Atem hid a frown behind a purse of his lips. He had read as much in Yugi's file, but Jou said it all so definitively that Atem almost believed that he was talking about someone else. Sociopaths could mimic emotions, sure. But for over twenty years?

"I know what you're thinkin' doc. And you're right. It doesn't make any sense."

Atem shifted in his seat, a bit uneasy that the focus was now on him. He cleared his throat. "So. When did you start to notice a change in Yugi's behavior?"

"Shortly after we graduated from college." Jou slid his gaze down and began to play with the hem of the tablecloth. "He majored in Secondary Education, did he tell you that? He wanted to be a teacher before..."

The raw conflicting emotions that danced in those tired amber eyes was enough for Atem to place his pen and notepad down on the table and uncross his legs so that he could turn to face Jou completely. "Do you need to take a break?" Atem offered.

Jou shook his head. "Nah, sorry 'bout that. Want another cup of joe?"

"No, thank you though." Atem picked back up his pen, but left his notepad where it was. "So, Yugi... Did you stay in contact with him after graduation?"

Jou gave a small lift of his shoulders. "At first. He got his own place 'bout an hour away, but we talked on the phone every day and made sure to meet up at least once a week. 'Bout a month or two after he moved, I started to realize that every time I would call him to meet up, he'd always raincheck. It was always somethin' - he was too sick or too busy or too tired. Then whenever I called, he said he couldn't talk and would call me back later, but he never actually would. Eventually, he just stopped pickin' up my calls all together. I tried to get in touch with him every way I knew how - social media, email, the works. I even drove out to his place a few times, but no one was ever home. Honestly, it kinda felt like he just vanished off the face of the planet. Poof."

As Jou continued talking, Atem noticed the way in which his voice got lighter and his eyes heavier. Despite all his years in the field, it never got easy for Atem to watch someone fall apart while trying so hard to keep it together.

"For a while..." Jou piped up again. "For a while, I thought he had died. That was the only way I could explain him disappearin' on me like that. But then, I'd have this gut feelin'... I just _knew_ that he had to still be out there somewhere. Durin' that time, there were so many nights where I was stuck between grievin' the loss of my brother and bein' angry at him for leavin' me like that."

"I'm sorry, Jou," Atem empathized, gently. "I know how difficult this all must be for you."

"No. You don't."

The words didn't hold any anger in them, but instead were stated rather matter-of-factly. "You're right," Atem agreed. "I have no idea what you are feeling. In fact, I can't even imagine the pain you've been through. But I _am_ sorry that you've had to deal with so much."

Jou almost smiled. Almost. "Ha... No wonder Yug' likes to talk to you." Jou tossed him a curious look from underneath his bangs. "How... how is he, by the way?"

Fucking batshit insane. And honestly, kind of bipolar. "He's doing better," Atem said instead. "More stable... well, sort of. I've actually been noticing some rather odd behaviors as of recent. Well. Odd for him, anyways."

Jou leaned forward, interest brightening up those dull eyes. Atem took that as a sign to continue and thought back to his most recent meeting with the sociopath, which was a few days ago now. "I've noticed lately that Yugi presents with a completely different affect sometimes."

"Affect?"

"I'm sorry, work term. Its the way in which we display emotions and feelings... or lack thereof. Anyways, there has been two instances in this past month where his entire... presentation has changed. Almost to the point of being unrecognizable. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what is going on with him at the moment. I was hoping you'd be able to shine a little bit more light on this. Was there ever a time that you experienced something similar to what I've described with him?"

Now, what Atem expected Jou to say was that he couldn't be of any help, given that he and Yugi hadn't been in much contact over the past two years. What he didn't expect was for Jou's shoulders to slacken or for those honey eyes to dim and drift off, as if recalling an old memory. Or perhaps trying to forget a bad one.

"Jou," Atem spoke in his most reassuring tone. "Is there anything else that you'd like to tell me? Anything that could help me understand what may be going on with Yugi?"

Jou didn't respond right away, didn't even acknowledge that the other had spoken for a full minute. Then, the blond sighed, as if resigned to defeat. But Jou didn't look as if he had just lost a battle. He looked like he had just lost the war. "A month or so after he graduated, Yug' went on this solo week-long trip to Egypt... To, y'know, find himself or somethin' like that. He always found Egypt particularly interestin', so he was super excited to go. Anyways, it was after he returned from this trip that he started distancin' himself. A few months before he started… well, before the bodies began poppin' up, Yugi showed up on my doorstep, completely out of the blue, and…"

At Jou's hesitation, Atem offered him a small hand gesture. "It's okay Jou," he reassured. "You can tell me."

For a few moments, Jou eyed Atem carefully, as if making a decision as to whether Atem was trustworthy enough to relay to whatever information he was holding back. Atem assumed that Jou must have decided that he was, for the blond suddenly picked up from where he left off. "He said he had found this ancient artifact on a dig site there. Some puzzle, I think. I don't know..." Jou sighed and raked a hand through the unruly blond mess that was his hair. "He told me the puzzle was… possessed. By this evil spirit. I know, sounds insane, right? But Yug' told me that this spirit, that it was hurtin' him and that he was afraid that the spirt was gonna start hurtin' other people soon. He called him... Yami, I think. Anyways, I figured he was havin' some sort of mental breakdown… from stress or whatever. I told him that we could go get him some help, and that it'd all be okay."

The information was hard for Atem to process - not for its disbelieving qualities, no, Atem was used to that in his line of work. In fact, the client he had before Yugi was _100% positive_ that he was God. No, the reason it was difficult for Atem to take all of this in was because of how astronomically it changed Yugi's forensic profile. It took everything Atem had to keep himself from gaping at Jou in astonishment. "How did he respond to that?" Atem asked once he composed himself.

"He didn't. He just walked out the door and…" Jou looked off to the side, his face tight, almost angry, but clearly in pain. "He went home…" He pushed through clenched teeth. "He went home and downed a bottle of sleepin' pills."

Atem paused, his mind catching up with the implication. And when it did, his eyes widened and the pen nearly fell from his slackened grip. "It _was_ a suicide attempt," Atem muttered aloud, his mind flying a mile a minute. All of this... everything Jou was telling him were ground-breaking revelations in Yugi's case. "Why didn't you tell anyone about this?" Atem asked, rather stunned.

"He never talked to me again after that. I didn't even know he had done that until months later, afta' he got arrested. And by then… well, by then, it was too late."

Atem nodded, his mind still racing with the new information; with the new pieces to the jigsaw that was Yugi Motou. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but Jou eye's were suddenly on him, looking almost pissed off. "I know how crazy this all sounds and you can take it or leave it," Jou snapped. "But I'll tell you one thing… that _thing_ that killed all those people, that was not Yugi. No. Yugi was the most selfless, cheerful little guy I've ever known. He wouldn't have hurt a fly. I don't know who you have locked in that prison, but that's _not_ my brother."

Atem stayed silent, because sometimes silence was as important as words. Besides. He knew that he needed to give Jou a little time to collect his white flag.

"I keep thinkin'…" Jou spoke after a few minutes, "if I would've stopped him from leavin' my place that day, if I would've dragged him to the hospital, or called the ambulance… would those people still be alive right now?"

Atem's gaze softened and his mind slowed. "I…" he started, but knew he had nothing to finish it with. "I don't know, Jou."

Jou nodded, finally smiling, though it was the saddest smile Atem had ever seen. "Yeah. Me neither, doc."

* * *

><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

* * *

><p>Malik had not been nearly as impressed as Atem had been when the psychologist had relayed the events of Yugi's last session to him; when, for a fraction of a second, Yugi revealed a glimpse into a soul that apparently still existed within the little sociopath. But Malik <em>was<em> blown away with the information that Atem had gathered from his interview with Jou, evident by his look of awe and his verbal praise. "This is incredible, Atem," he had said, "This completely changes everything about Motou's profile. Ha, even that ol' stiff Seto will be interested in this."

So, what did Malik do to show Atem his thanks? He called in Seto fucking Kaiba, who, prior to his meeting of Yugi, was the sole reason for his headaches, given that the six foot five brunet was a pretentious _prick_ and probably, Atem theorized, a well-disguised sociopath himself.

Cold-hearted asshole that he was.

"Intriguing," Seto quipped, reviewing Atem's notes in one the chairs by Malik's round table. "Though these notes are practically illegible. You should really work on your penmanship, Atem. Surely, your parents could've afforded a decent enough school for you to learn basic cursive."

Atem shot him an icy glare from his seat across the table. "I am sorry that my handwriting displeases you so. Perhaps I'll take some lessons from you when I have some more free time on my hands. You know, right after I finish working on the biggest case of the decade. What are you doing these days again?"

Seto snorted at the jab. "I have better things to do then play card games with Motou all day. Besides, only you in all your infinite bullshit would take so long on a case."

"As you can see, there is still much about Yugi's psyche that we are unaware of. Breaking down the intricacies of a sociopath is not a process to be rushed."

"You could've learned this all weeks ago if you had decided to meet with his foster brother sooner. You're an idiot, and Motou's clearly playing you like a fiddle."

"I'd like to see things from your perspective, I really would Seto, but I can't shove my head quite that far up my ass."

"Clever." Seto sneered. "Did Motou teach you that one?"

Yugi had, so Atem couldn't help himself - he laughed.

"_Children_!" Malik hissed from his seat in between the two at the table, raising his hands in an effort to hush the bickering men. "If you two could kindly grow the fuck up, my blood pressure would be forever in your debt. Now, if we can get down to business. What are your thoughts here? I'll need to present an updated profile to his highness by next week."

"Isn't it obvious?" Seto said, not even trying to curb his condescending tone. "He is schizophrenic. It all fits. The time of onset is one's early twenties, which would explain his lack of previous symptoms in his childhood and adolescence. It would also explain these delusions of an evil spirit he feels _makes_ him hurt others, as well as the negative symptoms such as the diminished emotional affect that Atem has observed on several occasions. He could also be experiencing sporadic dissociative episodes, as opposed to Atem's notion of random blackouts."

Malik nodded, complimented by a small shrug. "If so, counsel could argue that he was in a full-blown psychotic break from reality during the times of the killings. It couldn't get the little bastard a re-trial, but they could perhaps appeal his sentencing." He looked over at Atem. "Your thoughts?"

"Bipolar I with manic and psychotic features?"

Seto didn't even blink those icy blue eyes of his. "Motou hasn't once presented with a depressive episode."

"That's why I clarified the subset," Atem snapped, leaving out the _so you can just go right ahead and shut the fuck up _that begged to follow. "He goes from baseline to manic back to baseline, skipping the depressive dip entirely. The psychosis aspect of it would explain this whole 'spirit' notion, whereas the emotional aspect of the disorder would explain his sometimes heightened episodes of irritability, the disruption in his sleeping patterns, and his decreased attention span - during which times, he acts out more aggressively."

"That's also a possibility. More likely than not he falls somewhere on the psychotic spectrum and presents with mixed symptoms of both disorders." Malik stood to his feet and circled behind his desk to stand over it and scribble some notes down on a few papers sprawled across the wooden surface. "Well, that's a start."

But Atem couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't. In his opinion, none of it particularly sat right with him. "I have my next meeting with him in two days," Atem spoke, bringing the attention back to him. "I'd like to test these theories, and see if I can bring out this 'evil spirit'."

Malik waved him off with one hand, the other still writing down notes. "Yes, okay. But use caution for once, will you? I mean, he's probably expecting you to bring this all up since you told him you'd be talking to Jou, but - "

"I didn't tell him," Atem corrected.

Malik stopped in his writing and looked up from his paperwork. "You didn't notify him that you were meeting with his foster brother?"

"No… " Atem said, glaring at Seto when the brunet chuckled. "Should I have?"

"Are you kidding me, Atem?" Malik groaned, raising his hands in annoyance as if asking the universe _'Why do I even bother?'_. "He's _unstable._ You know that. You should have given him a fair warning that you would be meeting with Jou. What if he tweaks?"

"Why would he?" Atem argued. "He won't care. And even if he is a bit annoyed, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything that Yugi gave an actual damn about."

"You better hope so. Because, frankly, I can't afford to hire a new psychologist to take your place."

Atem rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. It was all in good faith - you know, to _help_ him. He has to know that. I mean, he's not _that_ unreasonable, is he?"

* * *

><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

* * *

><p>Oh.<p>

Yeah, he's_ that_ unreasonable.

_"You fucking asshole!"_

Atem winced and watched through the transparent plexiglass slot on the metal door as Yugi stomped around his cell. If it was any consolation, Yugi appeared to be back to normal - whatever that meant - and he no longer held that dead look in his eyes. Yeah, the sociopath currently fuming in the cell was certainly the Yugi he knew. Though, by the way things were going, he almost would rather have had to explain himself to the other dauntingly hollow side of Yugi.

Hesitantly, Atem leaned in closer to the small holes right underneath the slot in hopes that his voice would carry more audibly into the man's cell. "Yugi, I - "

"How _dare_ you talk to Jou," Yugi seethed, fists clenching and unclenching by his sides, as he spun around to glare directly at Atem through the plexiglass. "He doesn't have anything to do with _this_."

Well, this was new. In fact, if Atem hadn't been so busy trying to figure out a way to diffuse the situation, he would have probably taken a moment or two to allow his body to register the shock. He'd never seen Yugi quite like this before.

Yugi was absolutely _beside himself. _He was angry, pissed, distraught, infuriated, vexed, and so many other raging emotions that Atem didn't know exactly how to approach the situation. How do you deal with an emotionally-charged sociopath throwing _the _temper tantrum of the century? What class had he learned those skills in again?

"I can see that you're upset - "

"Oh, you think _this_ is _upset_?!" Yugi hissed, eyes flashing a dangerously dark shade of plum. "Come in here, Atem, and I'll show you _upset_."

"You are out of your _mind_ if you think I'm stepping one foot in there with you like this."

Yugi didn't even seemed fazed when he kicked his bed hard enough for the resounding noise to echo. "Why not? It'll be fun! Right after I bash your fucking skull into the wall."

"I don't think you're making the case for me going in there that you think you are."

"I'm going to _ruin_ you!"

Atem exhaled through his nose and felt the phantom-like caresses of a headache coming on.

Contract be _damned._

"Yugi - "

"Don't." Yugi began his pacing again. "What did you two talk about? I want to know everything you - actually, no, _fuck it_! It doesn't even fucking matter."

Atem sighed, only because it was painfully obvious that it did indeed matter. He had to admit that he had brought this all on himself this time around. Perhaps he _should _have given Yugi a heads up. Then again, to be completely honest, not once had he entertained the notion that there'd be any sort of potential backlash from his meeting with Jou, simply because it never crossed his mind that Yugi would actually care.

Here lied the problem, for it was now crystal fucking clear that Atem had unwittingly striked a nerve within the little sociopath. Say what you will about their labile relationship, but never had Atem intentionally sought out to exploit any of Yugi's latent weak points. Ruffle his feathers a bit? _Maybe_. But send him into a full-blown rampage? Literally, the furthest thing from his mind.

Up until now, Atem had made it a point to shield any sort of gesture (verbal, physical, or otherwise) that Yugi could misconstrue as the psychologist exhibiting weakness. Even in instances of questionable professionalism and stark bluntness, Atem almost always held his ground, unwavering and stubborn in his position.

But as Yugi continued to curse and stomp and threaten, depicting a picture of a child so distressed that he was forced to express his emotions the only way he knew how, Atem could not find it in himself to defend his actions. He knew, by Yugi's reaction alone, that he was in the wrong here.

Atem inhaled a deep breath, his temples now officially aching. Okay. Retract earlier statement about Yugi being unreasonable.

"_Yugi._" Atem urged softly this time. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I should have told you beforehand. You just... Well, after how we left things off last time, I didn't think that you wanted to speak with me right away. And, to be honest, I didn't think you'd care all that much if I met with Jou. It's clear now that I misjudged how much this would affect you and, for that, I do apologize."

"_Jesus_ fuck, none of that matters now," Yugi spat, falling back onto his bed in an angry mess of lithe beautiful limbs. Legs crossed on the thin mattress and elbows propped up on knees, Yugi hunched over and lowered his head to rest in his open hands. "_Damn it, _Atem." The psychologist could almost see the anger leaving Yugi's system, evaporating into the air around him to make room for a hurricane that sounded quite akin to frustration. "Damn it all to fucking hell."

Yugi lifted his arms up to drag his hands through his bangs and up into his hair, then straightened his back to glare at Atem once more through the plexiglass slot. "You can't come in here. Ever again. Consider this my official termination of our sessions, you asshat."

Now this wasn't the first time Yugi had 'terminated' their sessions 'for good'. But it was the first time he did it without a vicious '_or else (insert threat of bodily harm here)'_ glued to the end of the sentiment. And wasn't that just the utterly unnerving icing on this fucked up cake of a day.

"Yugi, I know - "

"You know _nothing_."

"Then tell me, Yugi!" Atem coaxed, just a bit louder than he had intended to. "Tell me what's going on; tell me how I can help you."

"You don't get it, you ignorant fuck. You _can't_ help me," Yugi snapped, leaning back to rest against the cement wall, neck curved so that he could slide his darkened gaze away from Atem and up towards the ceiling. Hands now in his lap and legs still crossed, the sociopath played, almost unconsciously, with the grey fabric of his jumpsuit. Despite the way in which the small holes underneath the slot filtered and hushed some of the noises and sounds within the room, Atem could hear Yugi's sigh as loud as if the other were standing right next to him.

"Don't you see, my dear Atem?" Yugi was quieter, sounding as though he was simply talking to himself now. He chuckled into the emptiness of the room and then smiled - just the smallest pull on the corner of those pink rosy lips. "There's nothing you can do. Hell, there's nothing _anyone_ can do."

And then, just like that, his smile was gone and those eyes flickering like purple embers were back on Atem. "Don't come back here." Yugi warned, quietly. "It will be your single biggest regret if you do..."

It was said with such solemn finality that when Yugi trailed off, Atem couldn't find the strength to press; to prompt him to continue; to explain.

No, no, _no_. He was much too preoccupied with the ship sinking sensation weighing down his stomach and tightening in his chest; with the sick, twisted sense of impending doom that washed over him, over the corridor walls, and flooded the hallways, drowning all inhabits in it's wake.

In the seemingly endless weeks of turmoil and anguish that followed, Atem would recognize this as the moment that several key realizations dawned on him like a pretty violet sunrise in a crimson red sky.

The first and probably the most telling at the time was the realization that (despite Atem's theories of suspected blackouts and Seto's theories of dissociative episodes) Yugi was very much aware and attuned to the other darker side of his personality. The second was that their contract was still very much valid and, for whatever reason, there was a part of Yugi that truly did not want to harm him. This was the only explanation, Atem reasoned, for Yugi's thickly veiled attempt to terminate future sessions with such severity, and also explained Yugi's desperate plea for him to vacate his cell earlier in the week. This all led to his third realization that Yugi, to some degree, had an idea of just when this darker side of him planned to make its appearances.

Lastly - and this was more of a gut feeling than anything else - was that, if given the opportunity to do so, that this darker side, this 'evil spirit' as Yugi referred to it as, had every intention of making its presence known to Atem. And it damn-well promised to make an entrance.

Looking back, Atem could've chosen that moment to walk away and never look back. He could've informed his superiors that Yugi had requested a termination of their sessions, typed up all his notes, and took that vacation he had been holding off on. Maybe a few years down the road, he could've even written a book about his time spent with mass murderer and diagnosed sociopath, Yugi Motou, and perhaps profited off some of the psychological warfare Yugi inflicted upon him enough to retire young. Maybe he could've moved to Florida or something, because _fuck_ the cold weather that plagued Domino City eight months out of the year.

But Atem didn't do any of that, for he was a curious man by nature, an answer seeker, an inquisitive soul and, above all else, a damn fool.

And even after over two months of sessions, Yugi was still just an endless book of questions.

It all made sense in the end, really. Atem was simply a moth that had caught sight of a violet-eyed flame - and what a beautiful tragedy they were together.

* * *

><p><em>To Be Continued...<em>

* * *

><p>AN: Reviews appreciated!

Next Chapter: Some official introductions are in order. ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** SUPER SPECIAL AWESOME SURPRISE UPDATE. Gotta keep you guys on your toes, right? ;)

Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Shadow &amp; A Dancer<strong>

Chapter 6

* * *

><p>This time when it happened, Atem was ready.<p>

It didn't take long after he had told Yugi he was 'leaving' per the younger man's request. What Yugi didn't know was that Atem really had just walked into the prison guards' break room, after informing the warden, of course, that he would be holding his session with Yugi slightly later in the day. With the prior knowledge that Yugi's darker side had appeared shortly after the last time Yugi had sent him away, Atem decided that this would be the opportune time to test out a theory - to see if this other side of Yugi would return again after Yugi had refused to meet with him. When he actually thought about it, it was all just a shot in the dark, really. He had only seen this other side of Yugi twice before in the past two months, and there was no guarantee that it would make it's third appearance so soon after the last one. But hey, he had nothing better to do today than to metaphorically throw different buckets of paint at a wall to see what stuck.

With that in mind, Atem waited impatiently in the break room for just over an hour before he began to make his way back to Yugi's cell. As a precaution, he peeked into the very corner of the plexiglass slot, so as to not be seen right away in the case that Yugi was his same dickish self. But to his own fucked up satisfaction, Yugi was sporting that hauntingly empty expression on his face that he readily recognized as Yugi's darker half. Not the greatest description, Atem supposed, given that the term would imply that there was a lighter half and, as Atem could attest to, Yugi in his normal disposition and temperament was _not_ a walk through a fairy-infested meadow. But the identifying marker had served him this far in separating the two distinct sides of the little sociopath, so he figured he might as well continue with the label.

In the present moment, laying face up in his bed, arms bent by his head and hands cupped behind the base of his neck, Yugi was staring up at his ceiling and, from what Atem could hear through the small holes under the slot, the other was _whistling_. The eerie sound alone made Atem's insides shuffle around a bit.

As the guard beside him called for the cell door to be opened, Atem inhaled a deep solidifying breath, building up the resolve to take a steady step into the small room. Once in, he was able to observe the bottom half of Yugi's position - one of his knees bent and the opposite leg crossed lazily over it. He looked very comfortable there, whistling and watching the ceiling. So at ease, in fact, that he hadn't even seemed to register that his cell was now practically filled to capacity.

"Yugi?"

Nothing.

Not a lull in the whistling or a blink of his eyes. Nothing to show that Yugi had even heard him.

So, Atem tried again. But this time, from a different avenue.

"Yami."

The whistling stopped.

And it was in an almost robotic slow motion kind of way that the sociopath turned his head to look at Atem, those eyes the darkest shade of indigo. "Doc," Yugi_ but not Yugi _greeted, uncrossing his legs and moving his arms in a manner that allowed him to press his hands against the mattress and sit up in the bed. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

That voice.

It was all wrong. _That_ wasn't Yugi's voice. No, no, _no_. This one was so deep and hollow, it echoed. How the hell did Yugi manage to change his voice like that? Surely, even in the remote wasteland of psychosis, that wasn't an easy feat.

"He needs to cuff you," Atem spoke, finding himself. He gestured to the guard behind him.

"But of course." Yami (as he preferred to be addressed by in this state) raised his hands out in front of him, then brought them down to rest in his lap after the guard had clicked the restraints in place. He straightened his legs and allowed the guard to bound his ankles together. "There," Yami quipped when the guard was done, swinging his legs off the bed and standing to his feet. "Much better."

Atem moved to the right to allow the guard enough room to shuffle back out of the cell. When the door rattled close behind him, he internally scrambled to reclaim his confidence that had been momentarily displaced in the bottomless depths of those unfamiliar fireless eyes.

"I don't think we've met," Atem began as a way of an introduction. "At least, not officially."

"Very true." Yami concurred. "But alas, I seem to be at a disadvantage, for it appears that you know my name, but I do not know yours."

Atem raised a brow at this. "But you knew that I was a doctor?" he asked, requesting clarification.

"It was an educated guess." Yami lowered his head and gazed out at Atem from underneath a curtain of loose golden locks. "You have been visiting my Yugi quite frequently these past few months. Only a shrink or his counsel would need to see him that much."

Atem didn't like this. He didn't like this one bit. The air, the room, the floor beneath his feet... it was all so unsteady. But damnit, this could be the only chance he had to shed some light on the darkness and the mystery that Yugi allowed to bubble on his surface but also hide in the deepest, most cavernous parts of him. Atem would have to play the game, he decided, if he had any chance at unraveling the secrets sprawled out before him.

"My name is Atem Sennen," he eventually said.

"Ah," Yami practically purred. "Dr. _Atem Sennen_. What an honor."

Atem watched him bend in the most graceful _mocking_ bow he'd ever seen. He resisted the impulse to glare at the other. "The honor is all mine," Atem countered evenly. "Though, I must admit, Yami, that I find myself a bit perplexed. After all, if you are here," he alluded curiously, "then where is Yugi?"

Yami blinked those cold blank eyes and tilted his head. "There is no need to concern yourself with such irrelevancies."

_Irrelevancies? _

Atem almost bristled but then, just as quickly, he pulled himself together. After all, he _was_ talking to _Yugi. _It just so happened to be another side of the sociopath that he was engaged with at the moment.

"He..." Atem paused. "Yugi hasn't mentioned you before."

"Course not." Yami lifted a regal shoulder. "Though you would think after over a year and half together, he'd be more pleasant towards me. Such an ungrateful little _boy_."

"A year and a half," Atem repeated, appearing thoughtful. "That is quite sometime, then. If you don't mind me asking, Yami, just how did you come to meet Yugi?"

"Ah, such a long, boring story, that one. Best saved for another time. Perhaps I could interest you in the abridged version instead?" Yami never faltered in that natural composure - one that would have looked rigid or forced on just about anyone else. "Splendid," Yami said in response to Atem's nod. "Well, you see, my most curious doctor, I am the cursed spirit of the Millennium Puzzle - a puzzle that our dear Yugi found and solved, bounding himself to it and, in turn, me to him. It should be my misfortune, I suppose, that such a weak boy would come to solve the puzzle. I have reasoned that it is karma for my previous transgressions that has sentenced me to share a physical body with a such a pathetic excuse of a host."

Atem hesitated in his response. "That does sound... awfully trying," he managed.

Yami smirked, and it looked so out of place, so utterly menacing on such an emotionless face. "You think I am a product of a mental illness?" he asked, matter-of-factly. "Hm. That is your first mistake, Atem Sennen. You should not underestimate me."

"I don't." Atem leaned, in all his rigidity, against the wall to steady himself after being so thrown off by the other's comment. How scarily... self-aware this darker half was turning out to be. "I would never underestimate you," Atem reinforced. "What, especially with all those people you've killed."

Yami's smirk fell. "Rather disgusting little creatures, you lot are," he spat, rather unapologetically. "Surely you all could benefit from a decrease in your population."

Well, that's a new one, Atem supposed. "You sound like you would not hesitate to kill again if given the chance," he reasoned.

"Probably not, no. Unless, of course, my sights were set on an even bigger prize."

"I see." Atem shifted a bit in his stance. "Tell me, Yami, if you are so intent on causing more harm, then why would you go and turn yourself in?"

Yami's lips twisted into a scowl, the wide blank eyes darkening a few shades. "That wasn't _me,_" Yami hissed. "That was weak little Yugi's doing." Yami's face suddenly cleared again, his next words falling from nearly laughing lips. "He thinks these walls will stop me," he said, gesturing around the cell. "Ha! What a s_tupid_ _child_."

The disdain was there. The venom was as deadly as it was overwhelming. The utter resentment this darker side held for 'Yugi' was almost tangible, almost visible. But Atem pushed that all aside for the time being to focus his attention on the much bigger picture. "Yugi turned himself in..." Atem muttered aloud, letting the pieces all fall into place, "...to try and stop you."

"Yes, quite the little martyr he is," Yami sneered. "He has yet to realize that all he's succeeded in doing is royally pissing me off." Yami looked off to the side wall. "It is of no consequence, however. I will find a way to get my puzzle back and then no one, not even dear little Yugi, will be able to stop me."

"Your puzzle?" Atem inquired, cautiously.

"Hm," Yami hummed, not really listening now. He seemed momentarily distracted, eyes still focused on the wall near his bed. Then he flicked his gaze back to Atem and regarded him curiously. "He is fond of you, you know," he said, discernible interest lacing those words. "I should kill you now to punish him for trapping me in this hell."

In the deathly silence that followed, Atem's muscles tensed and his body flared with alarm as Yami flashed him an owlish blink of those empty plum eyes. Atem may have even made a move for the door, he wasn't quite sure, because the second he dared to react, he felt himself being slammed into the wall behind him, the chain connecting Yami's cuffs together digging into his throat and cutting off his air supply. Instinctively, Atem's hands shot up to pull at the chain around his neck, but even with his adrenaline pumping and his survival instinct kicking in, he could not find the strength to loosen the chain. No, if anything, the chain was being pressed harder into his skin. In an automatic effort, Atem tried to thrash his legs, but one swift kick to his abdomen immediately stilled his movements.

"Relax, Atem Sennen," Yami cooed, bringing his mouth to the shell of Atem's ear. "I intend you no harm. But can you be a dear and pass a message onto my little Yugi the next time you see him?" Yami's smirk was back with a bone-chilling vengeance. "Tell him that I _know_."

Just as suddenly as he had been forced up against the wall, Atem was being released, hitting the ground with the entire impact of his body weight. He sucked in hungry breaths of air and then burst into a coughing fit as he clutched his throat with his hand. He only barely registered the sound of the metal door sliding open, his eyes instead on Yami, who, with a nasty smile, had fallen to his knees in front of him, cuffed hands raised in the air in an immediate surrender as three guards pummeled into the room. Atem followed with his eyes as two guards went to Yami's side and hefted him harshly onto his feet.

But even in all the chaotic, frantic movements, Yami held fiercely onto that unnerving poise of his and grinned down at Atem like the full-blown psychopath that he was. "See you soon," Yami promised, as the third guard helped Atem up and pulled him out of the cell.

His thoughts absolutely scattered and nerves amiss, Atem was unsure of many things in the aftermath that proceeded this encounter with Yugi's darker half.

But one thing that Atem knew for certain, without being told, was that Yami_ always_ kept his promises.

* * *

><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

* * *

><p>"Dissociative Identity Disorder."<p>

Atem found himself a few days later blinking up at Malik from his seat in front of his supervisor's desk. "Multiple personalities?" he asked.

Malik rolled his head along the back of his neck and reeled his arms behind him, bent at the elbow, in an effort to stretch out the muscles in his shoulders. "Only thing I can think of. It would explain a lot of what you're describing to me."

"I suppose it is possible." Atem frowned and narrowed his eyes in thought, causing a few wrinkles to mar his forehead. He had been quite the jumbled mess of nerves since his last encounter with Yugi, but he had to admit that he felt much more like himself today after having had five _mandatory_ days off from work to recover from the unprovoked assault. "Isn't D.I.D. extremely rare?"

Malik nodded and clasped his hands together to rest on the top of his desk, fingers interlacing. "In my almost ten years here, I have seen only one legitimate case of it."

That sounded about right. "But doesn't D.I.D. usually stem from trauma?" Atem questioned.

"From what I understand, yes. It allows an individual to dissociate from a traumatic event by creating one or more alternate personalities. It's quite the handy little coping mechanism if you ask me."

"But isn't the host typically unaware of its alters?" Atem inquired, skeptically. "Yugi seems awfully aware of this other presence, this 'spirit' as it were."

"The disorder doesn't exactly necessitate that Yugi be unaware of his alter."

"Even so, what would the trauma be in Yugi's case?"

"The loss of his parents, perhaps."

"No," Atem exhaled with a small shake of his head. "Yugi would've shown symptoms way earlier in his childhood if that was the case."

"Maybe something happened later in his life that we are unaware of," Malik suggested. "You could always ask Jou."

"Ha. Yeah, I'm gonna hold off on that until I can notify Yugi. Hopefully when he is... well, more himself." Atem suppressed a shiver, the soreness in his neck flaring up at the memory. "And perhaps, a bit less homicidal."

"Not a terrible idea, I suppose." Malik quipped. Collecting his hands from the desk, he leaned back in his chair and quirked an eyebrow at the other. "Why do I get the feeling that you are not keen on this idea?"

"I'm just not in any rush to slap a label on his presenting symptoms," Atem defended, slightly irritable. "You just brought this up like ten seconds ago - give me a minute to process it, will you? Besides, you're the one who taught me to be more skeptical. 'The most obvious explanation isn't always the right one'. _You_ told me that my first week on the job."

Malik scoffed and reached forward for a moment to plunk the apple off his desk. "No need for the trip down memory lane, Atem, I remember what I said." He settled back into his chair and took a bite of the fruit. "The problem is," he said after he swallowed, "I'm sensing that you aren't particularly sold on _any_ of the theories we've come up with so far. Even your own. How come?"

Atem sighed and, mimicking Malik's movements, leaned back into his own chair. "It's just..." he began, raking a hand through his hair. "Malik, you haven't seen Yugi when he's presenting with this other personality of his. Something... I don't know, I keep feeling like... like something's not right here. If I were any less inclined, I'd say that he actually _is _possessed."

Malik snorted with a roll of his eyes. "You really need to cut back on the TV, Atem. We are men of _science_, remember?"

"I'm not saying that I am buying into any of this possession nonsense," Atem snapped. "I'm just not sold on any of these other theories yet either. I don't know... I guess I just need more time and sessions to figure this one out."

"After his little stunt a few days ago?" Malik muttered, tossing his apple into the trash by his desk. "Honestly, I doubt the bosswoman upstairs will let you near him again. I know he's been pushing the line with you for a while now, and we're all guilty of encouraging you to stick with him this long. But it's becoming a liability at this point. He could've killed you."

Something inside of Atem shifted uncomfortably. "She's not thinking of pulling me from this case, is she?"

"She's considering it," Malik answered honestly. "Look, Atem. Motou is very clearly unpredictable, and we can't keep gambling with your life here. Now, I know that she hasn't made a decision yet but, right now, it's leaning that way. I think she wants to check in with you before she makes anything final."

To be completely honest, Atem had barely heard any of that, for the blood coursing hotly through his veins was far too distracting. He hadn't noticed that in all his vexation that he had inched forward in his seat and was now practically hovering over the edge of the desk. "I will _not_ be pulled from this case," he declared and he _dared_ someone to tell him otherwise.

Malik's eyes narrowed at the challenge, and he pinned the other man with a glare. "Cut the attitude, Atem, or I'll replace you _myself._"

"Like _hell_ you will."

"What did you just - ?"

The sudden ringing of the desk phone cut into the building tension, causing both men to glower at the device. After a second ring, Malik swiped it up and brought it to his ear, but shot Atem a look that clearly said _'We're not finished with this.'_

"I'm busy," Malik greeted harshly.

It was almost like Deja Vu in that awful kind of way in which history repeats itself. The way Malik's eyes stilled, the way his cheeks loss some of their color, the way he answered in clipped and tight responses. Atem couldn't bear to look at the familiar sight, so he chose instead to stare at the empty chair next to him, at the outdated red cushion resting on the seat. The sound of Malik clicking the phone back into its holder only served to intensify his gaze on the chair beside him. He hated that fucking cushion.

"Yugi."

Atem had meant it as a question, he really had. But both deep down and on the surface, he knew it was about Yugi.

"Yeah," he heard Malik confirm. "He's in the prison's infirmary."

There were one million questions Atem could have asked. There were one million questions he probably _should_ have asked. But there was only one question that weighed on his mind heavy enough to tumble out of his mouth and shatter on the floor by his feet.

"Is he going to be okay?"

* * *

><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

* * *

><p>The gross discoloring around Yugi's neck twisted at some loose cog in Atem's system, effectively constricting his chest cavity and causing the air around him to become thick and heavy. Atem felt claustrophobic with how hard it suddenly became to take in normal, steady breaths, which only served to bring awareness to the hand he had brought up to press his fingertips against his own neck, touching the fabric of his collared shirt there and, in effect, the bruises that hid underneath.<p>

Yugi hadn't noticed him yet, which gave Atem ample time to just watch the man in the medical bed undisturbed, the man who once again looked like the Yugi he knew. He gave his eyes permission to trail down from Yugi's neck to the wrinkled gray prison jumpsuit the other wore, then back out to one of the petite wrists, which had been fastened securely to the bed's railings by a thick strap. All of Yugi's limbs, Atem noted, were bound to the bed in the same manner.

He had seen Yugi restrained before - multiple times even. But, for some reason or another, the sight was truly a struggle for him to lay witness to. So much so that Atem almost considered walking out of the room before Yugi became aware of his presence. He just... He didn't _want_ to see Yugi like this.

Especially since there was this piece of him, this incessant quiet hum in the back of his head, that felt like this had somehow been his doing. Was it his fault that Yugi was in this bed right now?

As he stepped further into the room, Atem smiled weakly at the nurse standing by Yugi's bedside, who acknowledged him with a small nod of her head. She checked the medicine bag hanging on the IV pole, wrote something down on a small index card, then circled the bed and approached him. "He shouldn't be talking to anyone right now, but the warden informed me that you'd be stopping by briefly. Just make it quick, okay, dear?"

Well, Yugi certainly knew he was here now, even if he _was_ staring intently at the opposite wall and purposely avoiding eye contact with him. Atem mumbled a quick assent to the woman's request and sent the nurse on her way. He only partially noticed all the state-of-the-art medical equipment around them, in the same manner in which he only partially acknowledged the two guards posted at the doors on his way in. His mind just could not be bothered with giving attention to these little details.

Now these were fucking _irrelevancies, _he thought to himself. Especially when Yugi was lying in that bed in front of him, all the wrong colors tainting that previously flawless cream-colored skin.

"Yugi."

Even to his own ears, his voice sounded_ off_. Almost... sad?

Yugi didn't even look at him. "Go away."

But Atem never did get in the habit of taking orders from the little sociopath. "Yugi," he said again, though he wasn't sure why. He risked a few more steps forward, stopping only when he was standing over the bed. From this distance, the ligature marks on Yugi's neck looked so much worse - it was so red and just so pitifully _raw_. "I talked to the warden before I got here," he opened softly. "He told me that the guards barely got to you in time."

Yugi didn't answer, didn't turn to face him, but from his higher stance, Atem could see those eyes hardened considerably. A deep, nearly awkward silence manifested and stretched out in between them, making Atem feel like he was suddenly so far away from Yugi. It was one of those silences that, if they were to allow it, would go on forever. But it was so loud, so consuming, so akin to the thunder Yugi so often reminded him of, that Atem felt compelled to quiet it down with soft words. "They are placing you on suicide watch," he said quietly.

But still Yugi made no move to respond and, for the first time in a very long while, Atem was at a loss. He honestly didn't know what he _should_ to do, but at the same time knew exactly what he_ wanted_ to do.

He wanted to walk out the door, he wanted to reprimand Yugi for being so fucking stupid, he wanted to ask about 'Yami', he wanted to find a new job, he _wanted_ Yugi to look at him with those pretty purple eyes that he'd spent the last two months losing himself in.

"They should have let me die."

Atem startled to attention. "Wha - ?"

"Why the fuck did they cut me down?" Yugi hissed and finally, _finally,_ turned to look at him, his eyes the angriest shade of pearl. "For fuck's sake, I'm already sentenced to death. I could've saved you all a shit load of time and money if you just let me die on my own terms. Fucking dumbasses."

Atem paused to let the words sink in. He opened his mouth, closed it again, then found this overwhelming urge to glare at Yugi, an impulse that he fully indulged in this time around. "You made a noose out of your bed sheets and hung yourself from a ceiling pipe," he informed, his jaw clenching on it's own accord.

"I was fucking there, Atem, I know what I did. Geez, do they pay you all that money to sit on your ass all day and point out the obvious?"

"I want to know why."

"And I want you to get the fuck out. But if your recent history of abiding by a request of mine is anything to go on, then I'm assuming we're both shit out of luck today."

Atem's eyes were slits at this point, he was sure of it. "You are _impossible,_" he shot at him.

"This is the part where I call you a pot now, right?"

"I swear to Christ, Yugi, if you don't start talking this _instant,_ I'll - "

"You'll what?" Yugi snarled. "Leave? Fucking good. That's all I wanted. All I wanted was for you to fucking leave me alone! Why couldn't you just do that? Why do you keep fucking coming back? Why don't you just get _the fuck_ out of here?"

"I..." And just as abruptly as it came, Atem felt his anger leave him - his anger at what, he didn't know. He also didn't quite recognize the feeling that it was replaced with but, whatever it was, it caused his shoulders slacken and forced him to lower his gaze to the floor. "I don't know."

But anger was still racing in Yugi's blood, as fresh and bitter as his injuries, and it urged him to continue to glare at Atem with all his might. He glared and glared and then cursed and cursed until his eyes got tired and he ran out of hurtful words. And when it was all said and done, and the anger parted ways with him as well, Yugi blinked up at Atem, at the psychologist who hadn't moved from his spot throughout his entire tirade, those rose red eyes that had somehow broken down Yugi's defenses still glued to the floor with resignation.

"Leave, Atem," Yugi whispered. "_Please_."

It was a familiar plea - one that caused Atem to finally slide his gaze back to Yugi. "Why?" he asked.

"Because..." If someone's entire body could collapse in on itself, then Atem swore, Yugi's would've done it at that exact moment. "Because I don't want you to get hurt... But I _can't_ control him when he takes over."

Atem ignored the statement, ignored the blinding arrow that was pointing to a mental illness so deeply rooted in Yugi's psyche that Atem wasn't even sure what the hell it was yet. But Atem found that, in this moment, it didn't even matter. No, what mattered to Atem in this very second was just how much smaller Yugi looked lying there in that bed. He reminded Atem of a broken doll - one that someone had shattered into a million jagged pieces and was now too sharp to pick up and try to put back together again.

It was true, Yugi drove him mad, he hurt him, cursed him, threatened him, laughed at him, taunted him, but still none of it seemed to matter in that moment.

Atem should've stopped himself from what he did next and, in hindsight, he really had tried. But his heart was aching - it was just all too much. And perhaps it was the sight of Yugi Motou, one of the most heartless human beings to ever terrorize the city - the _country _even, trying to curl up on himself, but unable to because of the restraints, that had compelled Atem to do it. Perhaps it was the sight of this little soft broken child that Atem had never truly met before, but at the same time recognized as an image that seemed so fitting for the beauty that drowned every aspect of the man before him.

Atem figured that it could've been a thousand things, really, but if he was being completely honest with himself then it was the moment that he had noticed the thin veil of moisture glistening in those violet eyes, the single tear that had slipped from their very depths and swayed down the curve of Yugi's cheek that Atem knew that there was nothing in this world that could've stopped him from reaching out and flattening the wavy strands of Yugi's bangs back in his hair with gentle brushes of his palm.

"Hey there. It's okay."

And oh, how the dam broke.

In such silent beautiful rivers, too.

Yugi turned his neck, winced at the pain the action caused, and let his tears trickle down his face and stain his pillow. And even though Yugi was trying to hide from him, from the world even, Atem could still see the shame on Yugi's face, digust at his emotional display, at his body's betrayal. Atem watched Yugi, observed the way in which the younger man was holding his breath in an effort to not make a sound. Where was his raging asshole of sociopath? Who was this little crying boy in this bed - a boy that Atem, somewhere in the sick and fucked up part of his brain, wanted to pull into his arms and comfort?

_"Breathe, _Yugi_._" Atem muttered, gently. "Just breathe."

And he did in a loud, drowning intake of air, followed by a heart-breaking sobbing exhale. "Atem, please just leave," he mumbled, rather hopelessly.

"I can't do that," Atem replied, because he really couldn't at this point.

"You don't get it, do you?" Yugi said, turning his head again to look at Atem, with those wide eyes full of unshed tears that nearly brought Atem to his knees. "He _will_ kill you."

"Hey," Atem consoled, "It's okay. We're going to figure this out. We're going to get you the help you need."

The words brought with them a new wave of nearly silent sobs, as Yugi turned into his pillow again, looking so much like he just wanted to disappear. Atem welcomed the silence this time, the quietness in the air around them with the exception of Yugi's quiet cries, and continued to pet the boy's hair in his attempt to soothe this beautiful, _crying_ little sociopath.

The words strewn together like that, in one fluid description, made Atem's stomach churn, and his chest heave with the threat of bile. Atem couldn't explain it, but he knew, intrinsically, that something was horribly wrong here - something was just so dauntingly _off_ about the sight before him.

Atem swallowed the rising nausea and continued to stroke those soft tresses of honey and raven, but the feeling never left him.

Something was terribly, _terribly_ wrong here.

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><p><em>To Be Continued...<em>

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><p><strong>AN:** Updates will resume their normal Wednesday schedule. Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! Sorry for the late chapter - I'm overworked and dealing with the aftermath of a crazy blizzard, so I didn't have enough time to finish editing! Hopefully having this whole chapter be entirely YugixAtem interaction will make up for it. There is A LOT of information in this chapter, and I am sorry for that ahead of time.

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Shadow &amp; A Dancer<strong>

Chapter 7

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><p>By the next time Atem had been given permission to see Yugi again, the sociopath's defenses were back up and, judging by the guarded expression Yugi was sporting under those silky blond bangs of his, Yugi had brought in reinforcements.<p>

Of course, this was all after Atem had raised absolute_ hell_ at the Bureau when, earlier in the week, the director had tried to pull him from the case. Even Yugi would have been impressed with the shitstorm Atem had set upon his chain of command had Yugi been there to witness it.

According to the guards, Yugi's presentation had changed again and his other personality - Yami, as it were - had surfaced not long after the nurse had kicked Atem out following Yugi's meltdown. To Atem's surprise, as he had learned during his brief conversation with the prison staff, the sociopath had barely spoken a word and had actually looked far from threatening at this time, instead appearing to be in a disheveled and weakened state. Without being there first-hand to see him, Atem could only assume that this had been a result of Yugi's body being utterly drained from a combination of the meds, the physical exhaustion from his attempted hanging, and the emotional exertion from his breakdown.

And since Atem had been temporarily barred from visiting him, Atem hadn't been able to witness _Yami _in this supposed hindered state.

Now in the present moment, almost two weeks after Yugi's suicide attempt, Atem found himself sitting across from the other in a metal folding chair by Yugi's medical bed. Heeding the nurse's advice that they should hold off on Yugi's transfer until he had fully healed from his self-inflicted wounds, the warden had yet to move Yugi back to isolation.

Atem couldn't really tell how Yugi felt about this decision, given that the younger man had barely even acknowledged Atem when he had first walked in. It was only after Atem had cleared his throat (twice) that Yugi bothered to wearily glance his way.

At Atem's request, Yugi's restraints had been lengthened enough for him to sit up fully on the mattress and rest his hands in his lap. At the very least, Yugi seemed content with the increased allowance for movement.

"You look better," Atem commented after a few minutes of silence, once he had allowed his eyes to trace the fading blue and purple hues circling Yugi's neck.

Instead of offering a verbal response, Yugi narrowed his eyes at Atem, a gesture that very clearly read _'Are you fucking kidding me with this shit?'_

The look made Atem sigh. "Alright. I guess we'll skip the pleasantries today then and get right to it. Tell me about Yami."

"Why?" Yugi snorted. "So you can force a bunch of anti-psychotics down my throat? Thanks, but no thanks."

Atem lifted a brow, slightly surprised by the comment. "Is that what you're worried about? Yugi, I'm not - "

"You think I don't realize how insane this all makes me look?" Yugi tossed a fierce glare his way. "Trust me, doc, I _wish_ I was crazy. Hell, half the time I wake up and, for a moment, I really think I am. I'm not gonna fault you for questioning my sanity - I do plenty of that on my own. But on that same note, don't expect me to sit pretty and waste my time trying to explain it all to you. If it's all the same to you, I think I'll pass on opening that Pandora's box."

"You can't pass." Atem's words left no room for argument. But argue Yugi did.

"Says who?" the younger challenged. "You?"

"Well, I don't see anyone else in here, _do you_?"

The insinuation was loud and clear. "Oh, you're in one bitch ass of a mood today, huh?" Yugi threw at him. "What's wrong, someone kill your cat or something?"

"We can go back and forth for the next hour if you'd like," Atem offered, his patience quickly thinning. "Or you can stop being so damn difficult and start answering my questions."

"I'll take ruining Atem's day for 500, Alex."

Atem's eyebrow twitched. "_Yugi_," he warned.

"Stop _that_," Yugi returned with a hiss. "Don't you dare think for a _second_ that you can control me, too."

"I'm not trying to - "

"_Aren't you_, though?"

Atem sighed and lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Obviously trying to break down Yugi's walls by force was not getting him very far. Actually, if anything, it seemed like it was making his goal of breaching Yugi's defenses an even more challenging feat. Atem dropped his hand back down and gazed thoughtfully at Yugi. Maybe he needed to approach the man from a different avenue. Perhaps, he thought, instead of trying to make an opening for himself, he could try to find an already formed crack in Yugi's wall.

"You know, the last time I saw you, Yugi, you cried."

"I swear to all that you hold dear, Atem, I'll rip your fucking - "

"_Listen_ to me. _Please._" Atem interrupted, firm in his tone but soft in his words. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs, clasping his hands together to rest in between his parted knees. "I want to help you, Yugi, I do, I do," he assured. "But I can't do that unless you let me."

Atem's words seemed to immediately douse Yugi's fiery aura with a cool stream of water. "You..." The purple flames flickered, and his glare softened. "You won't believe me."

"Let's pretend I would."

"But you won't. No one will."

Atem offered him a small smile. "I'll try."

Yugi peered up at him through his thick lashes, quietly contemplating.

And once again, it all just didn't make sense to Atem. How could someone who made his heart strings pull and twist and knot together with just a simple flutter of those enchanting lilac eyes be the root of so much loss and devastation?

"I don't know what Jou told you," Yugi said suddenly, "but I'm sure he gave you an adequate summary of everything I told him. What else do you want to know?"

The question had Atem almost tripping over his own words in a hurried attempt to gather all the information he could before Yugi had the chance to shut down again. "Tell me about the first time you became aware of Yami," he ventured, catiously.

"From the beginning then?" Yugi nodded, as if accepting Atem's line of questioning. _For once_. "Alright then. Let's see... I met Yami almost two years ago, after I returned from my trip to Egypt with a box of golden puzzle pieces I had found on a dig site there. It took me two or three days, but I was able to assemble it all together - it turned out to be a pyramid of all things. I remember being so excited, proud even, when I had finally clicked that last piece into place. I went out to the store that very day and bought a chain for it, just so that I could wear it around my neck and carry it with me.

"I had only had it for about a week when I began to get this feeling... like someone was watching me. Looking back, I had never felt so paranoid in my life. It was small things at first, really. Like thinking I saw a shadow over my shoulder or that I heard someone calling my name only to look around and realize that no one was there. And then, before I knew it, the voice I had been hearing was practically shouting in my ears and the shadows around me had begun to take on a human shape. It all happened so fast when I think about it now... and I was honestly to afraid at the time to tell anyone what was going on with me.

"Then one day, about two weeks after I had solved the puzzle, I woke up in a room that wasn't mine. It was almost completely empty, save for the bed I was lying on, and the walls around me were made completely of cement - like these ones here, only darker. At first, I figured that I must've been dreaming... like one of those lucid dreams, you know? Where everything feels so real..."

Yugi paused, and Atem watched him shift a bit on the bed, as if suddenly resistant to continue. "You're doing great, Yugi," Atem encouraged, gently. "Keep going."

His comments earned him a small scowl from the other, but after a few quiet moments, the words seemed to fulfill their intended purpose and Yugi's hesitancy subsided. "That room was where Yami first introduced himself to me, as the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. He said that the room we were in was my soul room, a place within my mind's eye that I could retreat to whenever I wanted to. He told me that we were partners, bound together by the puzzle, and that since I had solved it, it was his duty to protect me. It was all so much to take in at first, and I was thoroughly concerned for my mental state at that point. But I never actually said anything to anybody because, to be completely honest, as crazy as it all seemed, it was... I don't know... kind of nice, I guess, having him around. We talked almost every night for weeks, and his constant presence in my life soon became a source of comfort and familiarity. I think it was around this time that I started to pull away from my friends and family. It wasn't intentional on my part... it just kind of happened. As pathetic as it sounds, I guess I had just gotten to a point where I preferred spending time with him in my soul room over the company of my own family and friends back in the real world.

"I think I had known Yami for just about three or four months when it first happened: One day, I just came to and found myself standing over these two guys. They were beaten badly and unconscious on the ground. I didn't even give myself a minute to process how I had wound up in some alleyway, because I was too distracted with trying to find my phone to call an ambulance for them. It was... almost surreal when I realized that I was absolutely _covered_ in blood... my hands, my clothes... I honestly think I just stood there for a good ten minutes, my mind trying to catch up with everything that was happening. And then, the next thing I remember, I was running.

"And I didn't stop until I got back to my place. I think I had spent the next hour on the floor of the tub with the shower running, in a kind of shocked numbness. It wasn't until much later in the night that I confronted Yami about it. He didn't even try to deny it, but instead said that he had done it to protect me. He told me that those men in the alley had cornered me and had tried to assault me, possibly even kill me. And at that point, Yami had been my partner, my 'Other Me', for a long enough time that I couldn't find it in myself not to believe him. After all, he was one of my closest allies, my confidant, my best friend. Hell, a part of me may have even loved him back then.

"So, yeah, I believed him. At least, I did until it happened again and again, each time more violent than the last. It was a hard pill to swallow when I finally realized that Yami had been filling my head with nothing but pretty lies and false promises. Truth was, Yami didn't give a damn about me; he didn't give a damn about _anything _for that matter. I was simply a means to an end."

Atem straightened in his chair, semi-lost in his mixed state of morbid captivation. "What end was that?" he prompted.

Yugi paused and gnawed at his bottom lip, appearing thoughtful for a moment, before he continued: "Yami's only desire is to destroy, Atem. He does not have a hidden agenda, nor does he have religious or emotional motives. Yami kills because he _can_... And it was the moment that I realized this that I tried to destroy the puzzle - burn it, smash it, you name it, I tried it. I even tossed it over a fucking bridge, but it didn't matter. The damage was already done. Yami was already bound to me, and no matter how many times I tried to rid myself of that cursed puzzle, he'd always find it again whenever he took over. And for every failed attempt I made at trying to destroy it, he'd come find me in my soul room and... " Yugi's face twisted, the promise of secrets darkening his features. "Well, let's just say he dropped his whole 'partner' facade and had no qualms with showing me the true extent of his displeasure for my_ acts of defiance_."

Atem narrowed his eyes at the devastating toxicity outlining Yugi's words. "What do you - ?"

"Hey. Dick. If you want me to talk, then you need to shut your trap, got it?"

Once intrigued, it was difficult for Atem to let something go. But the consequence of prying at this point was not something he'd be able to ever come to terms with. So, begrudgingly, he dropped it. For now.

"I'm sorry." Atem surrendered with a small hand gesture. "Go on."

"Well, _now_ I lost my place..." Yugi flashed him a warning glare, then turned to stare up at the ceiling. "Oh yes... I was talking about Yami being a fucking prick. _Anyways..._ after some more time had passed, I began to realize that the more accustomed I grew to Yami hurting other people and the less emotionally reactive I became to that reality, the less often he actually took over. It took a while to piece it all together, but I eventually figured out that he had been feeding on my emotions as a power source. _E__specially_ the big ones - fear, sadness, anger, happiness, pain, love...

"Those were the ones that really turned that fucker on. Whenever I experienced any of them, it gave him enough strength to take over my body anywhere from a few hours to an entire day at a time. And yes, before you even open your mouth in an attempt to ignore my previous request for you to shut the fuck up, that's why he has been showing up so much lately." Yugi raised an accusing eyebrow. "It's your fault, y'know. I had him well under control until you showed up, you fucking _asshole_."

Atem blinked. Then, he scowled. "Am I allowed to speak _now_?"

Oh, now wasn't that eyebrow tic downright terrifying? "Might as well," Yugi pushed through clenched teeth.

Atem sighed, his shoulders slackening and losing some of their tension. "Well, since you haven't mentioned them again, I'm curious as to what happened with your family and friends," Atem spoke softly, coaxing Yugi back into a more open and inviting atmosphere.

"They were collateral," Yugi said simply, taking the bait, as evidenced by his noticeably calmer tone. "It was too much of a risk to keep them in my life; Yami wouldn't have hesitated to kill them if he had been able to take control around any of them. Besides, it was too hard not to _feel_ things with them around. Sure, it was difficult - impossible almost - to cut them out of my life completely, but doing so made it much easier for me to stop caring about anything since I no longer _had_ anything to care about. Once I had made the decision to sever ties with them completely, the instances in which Yami took control over my body diminished drastically."

"If that's the case," Atem started, careful in his attempt to make sense of everything. "Then - "

"I'm _getting_ there," Yugi promised, seemingly tense again. He rolled his eyes at Atem when the elder bowed his head apologetically. "One night," he began, quieter now, "about three months before I walked into your stupid headquarters, Yami took over, completely out of the blue, and killed five people. Turns out that though my expression of emotions enables him to take over for short periods of times, he doesn't actually _need_ them to get stronger. No, he had the puzzle to serve that purpose. That's where his _true_ power stems from.

"The first few weeks that he had indulged himself on his murderous rampage, I did everything in my power to stop him. I spent every waking moment trying to build a barrier around both my soul room and _his. _It was the only thing that seemed to slow him down for while. In fact, the wall that I am _constantly_ putting up around his soul room is the only thing that temporarily keeps him at bay anymore. But damnit, if he doesn't spend every second of every damn day trying to tear it down. I'm able to manage him pretty well now on that front, since he no longer has the puzzle to draw strength from. I had actually gone almost two months without a peep from him before he managed to break through and kill all those inmates and that guard.

"But when the murders first started and he had the puzzle, that wasn't the case. I could only keep him away for six... maybe seven days tops? Then he'd knock down those walls, take over, and was free to do as he pleased for days, sometimes even weeks at a time. And he was only getting stronger every time that he killed, with each soul that he offered to the shadows. I knew that, as long as he had the puzzle, he'd continue to get stronger and that soon enough even the walls that I put up around him wouldn't have been able to stop him. I didn't know what else to do..."

It was so much - too much to wrap his head around. But yet, somehow, easy enough to follow. "So you went to Jou..." Atem whispered.

Yugi confirmed this with a nod. "He didn't believe me. And I didn't blame him. I wouldn't have believed me either."

Atem hesitated, because he needed the pauses in between their words to keep himself steady. "You must have felt like you had no other option when you took those pills."

Yugi looked down to play with a loose string on his gray jumpsuit. "I guess you could say that. I dunno, I just thought that if I couldn't take away his puzzle, then maybe I could take away his host. But as the pills began to take their effect, it became harder and harder to keep those barriers up. He must've slipped through, because I woke up in the hospital the next day with no clue of how I got there. There were a few times after that night that I considered alternative methods that were... well, that were _quicker_. Like jumping in front of a train or off a bridge... something that he wouldn't have enough time to change the outcome of if I were to suddenly feel afraid or become so distracted that I accidentally let down the barrier. One time, I actually did go up to the top of a ten-story building and walk over to the ledge... I wanted to do it, y'know? I wanted to put an end to all of this fucking bullshit, I really did. But as I stood there on that ledge... I don't know... I just couldn't do it." Yugi cracked his jaw, his eyes still at a downcast. "I guess I was just too much of a coward. And since I couldn't put a stop to it myself, I did the only other thing I could think of..."

"You turned yourself in..." Atem finished, before trailing off himself.

When Yugi didn't respond, Atem used the momentarily silence between them to clear his head with long, deep breaths, as he tried to find his footing. This proved perhaps more difficult than it sounded given that he currently had one foot in the rational world of science and facts and testable data and the other in the realm of shadows and magic and spirits hell-bent on fucking up everyone's day.

"Where is the puzzle now?" Atem eventually asked.

Yugi raised his hands, palms up, and restraints shifting at the movement. "Not a clue. They took it after I got arrested. I haven't seen the blasted thing since. Good fucking riddance, too. These bars are the only thing keeping him away from it right now. It's not a perfect solution, no, given that he's still strong enough to hurt people in here, as he so adequately demonstrated a few months ago. But I figure, at the very least, in here, his range of destruction is limited. Besides, my execution will be here soon enough."

"If you honestly believed that," Atem remarked before he could stop himself, "then why did you try hang yourself?"

"Honestly? Well, Atem, if I'm putting all my cards on the table here, then I guess it's because I am an impatient man who is just _so fucking_ tired of it all. It is exhausting to keep those walls up around him all the time, Atem. It takes everything I have, every ounce of my strength to do so. All of my energy is directed solely at keeping him locked away for as long as I possibly can... But the more time that passes in between his appearances and the longer that I am able to fend him off, the more he leaks out into me - his violence, his aggression, his disgust. I become rather... impossible to reason with towards the end of each cycle, right before takes over..." Yugi pulled his legs up as far as the restraints allowed and placed his hands on his knees. "Point is, I did it because, for_ once_, I just want to fucking close my eyes without worrying if I'm going to open them to find someone else dead... To find_ you_ dead, Atem..."

For the first time since his arrival, Atem found himself needing to look away from Yugi, away from those all-consuming eyes that would make any reasonable man act and behave and feel unreasonably. Or was it just him that Yugi had this effect on?

"That day that I met him, Yugi..." he whispered, turning back to meet Yugi's awaiting eyes (_w__ere they always waiting for him like that?)_ "He told me to tell you that he 'knows'. What did he mean by that? What does he know?"

"Oh, you stupid, oblivious man," Yugi exhaled, pinning him an exasperated look. "Atem, you are someone that I would've easily fallen in love with a few years ago before any of - " Yugi waved his hand aimlessly - "_this_ happened. Yami knows that. And though I am incapable of feeling those kinds of emotions now, of even remembering what it feels like _to_ love someone, the hesitation he senses when I'm with you is something that he will exploit with urgency and sadistic satisfaction."

Leave it to such a reckless individual to set off such a dangerous chain of reaction inside of him. It was a domino effect, really, in the way Atem was forced to sit there and swallow Yugi's words, so that they could encircle and tighten around his lungs, intertwine unforgivingly with the strings of his heart, and then tumble down in some tangled, knotted mess into the pit of his stomach.

"I don't believe that," Atem heard himself argue, though he wasn't quite sure why he felt compelled to do so. "I don't believe that you are incapable of _any_ type of feeling, Yugi. Someone who doesn't have the capacity for emotions doesn't break down like you did two weeks ago. No, somewhere inside of you, Yugi, you hurt and feel and bleed just like me. That's why you turned yourself in - "

"I turned myself in because Yami _needs_ to be stopped. It is as simple as that. Do not try to twist it into some idealist notion that I still have all these emotions buried deep down. Do you honestly think that I could do something as superficial as just _hidin__g_ my emotions without Yami being able to see right through me? No, Atem - that's not how it works. I actually _don't_ really care about much of anything anymore. I can't afford to. And when I do find myself caring about something again, I rip those feelings right out at the root.

"Yes, Atem, I want to stop Yami. Yes, I want him to pay for what's he done, for the life he took away from me. But I no longer weep for my sins or for his, and I no longer feel sympathy for those he hurts, because those pitiful feelings do _nothing_ for our victims and _everything_ for him. What you saw two weeks ago, that wasn't some show of remorse for the role I've played in this whole fucked up situation. No, I've long since accepted those demons. That display that you saw was because of _you_, because you have somehow managed to stir up a few rebellious emotions within me that I had long since forgotten existed. But I assure you, Atem, that I will do everything in my power to get rid of those feelings, too. Not hide them, mind you, but extinguish them completely. And not because I want to, but because I have to. It's the only way I know how to survive. And sure, perhaps I do put on more of a hostile front than necessary at times, but it's easier that way, because it keeps people at bay... Well." Yugi offered him an annoyed glance from underneath his fringe. "Most people."

Atem couldn't quite put his finger on exactly what emotion it was that forced him to lower his gaze to the floor, but it felt very closely related to guilt. "Is there..." Atem hesitated in his struggle to phrase the question. "Is there anyway to get rid of him?"

Yugi shook his head, appearing almost frustrated at Atem for not understanding. "Yami is _part_ of me, Atem. He's like my shadow - always there, even if you can't always see him. And there's nothing I can do to change that."

"Your shadow..." Atem repeated, digesting the words. He cocked his head slightly. "And you, Yugi? What are you to him?"

"Me?" When Yugi smiled, it was as empty as Yami's eyes. "That's easy. I'm his marionette."

His puppet? Atem almost frowned at the implications there - it highlighted just how powerless Yugi must have actually felt under the control of his darker half. "You said that you don't have the power to break the bond you have with him," Atem muttered aloud, casting Yugi a curious gaze. "Does he?"

Yugi lifted his shoulders in a kind of half-shrug. "I think so, but I don't know for sure. As far as I knew, that was his grand master plan. He used to tell me how, as soon as he was strong enough, he'd be able to use the power granted to him from the shadows to manifest his own physical body and sever the bond he had to me. Honestly, there were times where I wanted to let him do whatever he needed to, just to quicken the process with the hope that I'd one day be free of his hold on me. But deep down, I knew that once he got his own body, there'd be stopping him. If given the chance, he'd kill thousands. I knew he would." Yugi pursed his lips. "Besides... I knew he'd kill me the second he didn't need me anymore; the moment I became of no use to him, I was as good as dead."

Sometimes, all the helpful and comforting words that can be said are elusive in nature, dancing just out of your grasp and falling silent on the tip of your tongue. And sometimes, no such words even exist. Atem hadn't yet figured out where he stood in this dilemma, but he figured that it didn't actually matter. No, not when his main priority at this very moment was to find a way to fix -

"Stop it," Yugi snapped, garnering Atem's attention once more. "I can see those gears turning in your head. You're trying to come up with answers to problems that have no solutions. The only thing you could do to help me at this point is leave, Atem. Just let me forget you and wait out the rest of my sentence in peace. Until I am able to dismiss whatever it is I feel towards you, then the more you come around, the more he'll feed on those feelings, whatever they may be. Trust me on this one; you'd make everything much easier if you just walked away from this. You don't _want_ to give him another chance to hurt you."

That was true. Atem certainly did not _want_ to fall victim to the other's darker half. But, quite frankly, he didn't want Yugi to, either.

"I'm sorry, Yugi, I truly am." Atem breathed out, suddenly looking very tired. He guessed that when it came to Yugi, his priorities had always been a little skewed. "The last thing I want to do is make this any harder for you. But I just _can't_ walk away from this."

_From you..._

Yugi narrowed his eyes at him, but Atem could discern that the action had been carried out with confusion, not malice. "Such a stubborn man you are." Yugi sighed, seemingly annoyed. "I really don't understand you, Atem."

"Ha. I don't quite understand you either, Yugi."

"After all this time? You're a shitty psychologist then."

Atem was silently grateful for the lighter shift in the air around them, and he really had intended to keep it as such, knowing that they both needed it after Yugi's remarkable disclosure. But when he had opened his mouth to retort, and his eyes had caught sight of the bruises on Yugi's neck again, he felt himself getting pulled back down into a heavy tide. "Yugi," he spoke, his tone serious with hints of gentleness. "Don't do that again, okay? I need you to promise me that you won't try to hurt yourself again."

A small chuckle escaped from Yugi's lips, his gaze falling back down to his lap as if he held the most interesting prize in the world between his hands. "Promises are for children," he muttered with a small shake of his head.

Yes. Atem supposed promises were rather fanciful notions - pretty words bound to nothing more than a man's willingness to follow through with an explicit request. But Atem needed those words, he needed Yugi's beautiful consent to stay safe, to stay alive, until he could figure out a treatment approach that would aid in the reduction of his presenting symptoms, that would eliminate the need for Yami, who Atem could only rationally deduce was the physical manifestation of a psychosis so ingrained and tangible that Atem almost believed it all to be true.

Atem pursed his lips and regarded the other man carefully. At this point, he knew that he had long breached appropriate boundaries with his little sociopath. In fact, the manner in which he found himself interacting with Yugi was beginning to go against all of his years of field training, against all of his schooling and the warnings his teachings had ingrained in him regarding countertransference. Yet, even with this self-awareness, he couldn't find the strength to keep himself from leaning forward, within the other's potentially hazardous reach, simply so that he could swipe some of Yugi's golden bangs aside and give Atem a clear view of those eyes that were as pretty as a spring morning, but as unrelenting as a winter's night.

Lowering his hand, Atem traced his fingertips down the side of Yugi's face and across the angle of his jaw until he found the underside of Yugi's chin. He pressed two fingers against the soft skin there and applied just enough pressure to lift and guide Yugi's face up so that those petal-colored eyes could meet his gaze.

"Promise me?" Atem repeated, quietly.

Yugi watched him, the purple fire in his eyes swaying from side to side as if blowing in the wind; the man he had become, the barrier he had built around himself, threatening to crack and and reveal a glimpse of the boy he once was, all because of Atem's lullaby voice and butterfly touches. He was being pulled apart, tugged in two polar opposite directions, Atem could see it; he could see the internal struggle that Yugi found himself caught in the middle of, and Atem wanted so bad to help him fight, he truly did. He just didn't know how to.

It didn't seem to matter though, because in only a few seconds time, Yugi appeared to gather his senses and patch up whatever cracks Atem had managed to find.

"I'm sorry, Atem," Yugi exhaled, shaking free of the other's hold. He turned his gaze away from Atem and stared off at the far wall, a distant look clouding over his features. "But I can't be your marionette, too."

* * *

><p><em>To Be Continued...<em>

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><p><strong>AN**: Please review!

Next Chapter: The dynamics between Yugi and Yami are further dissected.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!

Warning: Possible triggers. Read at your own discretion.

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><p><strong>Shadow &amp; A Dancer<strong>

Chapter 8

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><p>If Atem had a nickel for every time he was on the receiving end of one of Yugi's death glares, he would probably have enough money to just <em>pay<em> Yami to leave.

"This is harassment, you know," Yugi mumbled from his sitting position on the medical bed. "Don't you have something else - _anything_ else - better to do than bother me?"

Atem sighed with a light shake of his head. Four seconds in, and he was already tired. "Sharing your past and trying to come up with solutions so as to better assist you in the future is healthy, Yugi." He settled in the chair by the medical bed. "Trust me, this is for your own good."

"Oh damn, that's right. Forgive me, it just totally slipped my mind that you actually have my best interests at heart. What, with your blatant disregard of any of my requests for you to stay the fuck away from me."

Atem grunted and crossed one leg over the other, his notepad hefting higher up on his lap towards his knee. "Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine this morning," he exhaled.

Yugi lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. "What can I say? Someone's gotta help shine a light on your life. I bet it gets quite dark having your head so far up your ass all the time."

Atem blinked, exasperated, then took out a pen from the chest pocket of his pressed white dress shirt. He pressed the tip of the pen to his notepad. "_Yugi continues to present as oppositional_," he said aloud as he wrote.

Yugi scowled at him. "Take these restraints off, and I'll show you oppositional."

"_Note that he also continues to verbalize threatening remarks_."

"_Atem," _Yugi hissed, violet eyes flaring. "Surely you don't have a death wish today, so what is it that I can do for you?"

Atem stopped writing and glanced up at Yugi, using his left hand to brush his bangs out of his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you," he said simply.

"Didn't I just see you like two days ago?" Yugi argued in an annoyed fashion. "I thought I was on some special protocol or something, and only needed to tolerate your presence once a week."

"Given your recent disclosure," Atem explained, "my supervisor and the warden have both agreed to an additional session this week. I believe they are concerned that you divulging so many past memories to me earlier this week would trigger you to become more assaultive and aggressive in the days that followed."

Yugi rolled his eyes and raised his hands as far in the air as the restraints fastened around his wrists would allow him to. "Well, you can tell them that I'm just peachy fucking keen down here. Body count was still the same the last time I checked."

Atem nodded and leaned back in his chair. It was silent for a moment. Then, "They're moving you back to solitary next week."

"Good." Yugi lied back onto the mattress to stare up at the ceiling. "I'm fucking sick of this bed, and I'm sick of these restraints. At least when I was in my cell, I only had to wear them when you came around."

"I'm sorry, Yugi, I can see how that would be an - "

"Spare me, Atem, and get to the bloody point already, because I'm tired today and am in no mood to have you beat around the bush. What more could you possibly want to know that I haven't already told you?"

Atem exhaled a breath through his nose and tapped the pen in his hand against his knee. "Okay. You win. I suppose I was hoping that I could ask you a few follow-up questions from our previous session."

Yugi quirked an eyebrow at him. "And if I say no?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead," Atem replied honestly, then pursed his lips. "I guess I was just kind of betting on you saying yes."

"Wouldn't have pegged you for the gambling type," Yugi commented, returning his gaze upwards. "Even though, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised given your poor judgment and your inability to walk away while you're still ahead."

Atem scrunched up his face. "So. Yeah. That's definitely not a compliment."

For a brief second, it looked as if Yugi was going to throw some kind of nasty retort his way. He was pleasantly surprised by the chuckle that slipped past those rosy pink lips instead. "Guess there's no point in clamming up now. Nothing else I say could make you think I'm more crazy than you already - "

"I don't - "

"Save it. You have more questions? Shoot, then."

"Okay." Atem leaned forward, the movement causing his stomach to press against his notepad. "Well, I was hoping you could tell me more in depth what it's like for you in these instances when Yami takes over. Where do you go when he's in control?"

There was no hesitation. "My soul room."

"Do you remember anything from the times that he takes over?"

"Kind of..." Yugi shifted a little in his bed. "It's hard to explain. I don't really remember specifics. It's more like sporadic images and sounds. When he takes over, I'll get these random, distorted images of what he's seeing. It's mostly just colors - lots and lots of red usually. On occasion, I'll see faces of people. I'll even try to listen to what he's hearing every once in a while, even though I can rarely ever make sense of the actual words. I usually can just pick up on tone and pitch... I can hear screams sometimes... And if he had any feelings, I'm sure I'd be able to sense those, too."

"And him?"

"I imagine that he experiences something similar when I'm in control."

"I see." Atem straightened in his chair. "Yugi, when was the last time you actually interacted with Yami?"

Yugi scoffed with a small hand gesture that looked akin to the universal '_Who knows?_', his lengthened restraints allowing him the movement to do so. "A long time. Ever since I put up barriers around my soul room, it takes too much energy for him to take control over my body _and_ to break into my soul room to see me. He can only choose one to do at a time, and I suppose that my company is just not as appealing to him as killing is."

"And before you put up those barriers? When he was visiting you...? What - ?"

"Atem," Yugi warned, eyes darkening. "Don't push it. Trust me, you don't want to know."

"Yes, I do, Yugi. I think it'd honestly be helpful for you to talk about - "

Yugi had shot up in his bed so quickly that the restraints securing his limbs snapped with the pressure. "What do you want to hear, Atem? That he tortured me? That he raped me?" Yugi seethed through clenched teeth. "Fine, Atem. You win. He_ raped_ me. He raped me every fucking night for _months_."

"Yugi - "

"When it first started, I used to cry for him to stop. Some nights, it was so bad that I thought I was going to die. For the first few weeks, I would plead with him to spare my life. Then, after a while, I began begging for him to end it. Eventually, I stopped begging him all together. That's when it actually stopped. Guess the bastard got bored with me when I no longer gave a damn."

Hallucination, spirit, other personality, whatever the hell it actually was, Atem had never felt so saddened, had never felt such an overwhelming urge to collect Yugi into his arms and comfort him. How _awful... _How terrible was that of the mental suffering in which Yugi had to endure. "Yugi..." Atem soothed, reaching out towards the other. "I'm - "

"Stop," Yugi snapped, halting Atem's outstretched hand. "God, just stop it already. You're _not_ helping me, Atem, you're just making everything worse! Your ignorance and recklessness will be the end of _both_ of us."

If words could cut, if they could draw blood, then surely he'd be staining his white shirt by now. Atem tried to shake away the sudden weight of guilt that Yugi's accusations had brought with them, but the feeling clung to him like a second skin. Yugi had asked him before to leave and he hadn't, for selfish reasons, yes, but also because he honestly believed that he was the only one who could help Yugi. But if all he was truly doing was making Yugi worse...

"I'm sorry, Yugi," he apologized, genuinely. "It was not my intention to hurt you or to cause you anymore distress." Atem stood slowly to his feet, unsteady at first but able to find his balance. "If you honestly never want to see me again, then I will respect your request. I am sorry that I didn't do so before. It was not fair to you..."

Yugi didn't say anything. He didn't even look at him. He just glared angrily at his hands in his lap.

Atem took that as his sign to leave.

Looking back, Atem would recognize this moment that he turned his back to Yugi and began walking away as one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. To be honest, he didn't even know he was capable of doing so, that he had the strength to move in any other direction that wasn't _towards_ Yugi. But it seemed that his legs had began making the steps on their own, as though his body knew that it was the right thing to do, even if every other part of him was fighting against it.

"_Wait._"

Atem turned halfway at the quiet request and, when he did, those amethyst eyes were watching him intently, clouded over with just the smallest undertone of sadness.

"I don't..." Yugi's gaze fell to the floor by Atem's feet. "I don't want you to go."

Atem should've been relieved to hear that; surprised even. But he wasn't.

On the contrary, Atem found himself upset with Yugi's pretty words and, in all his frustration, he tossed his hands in the air and released an audible sigh. "I don't know what you _want_ from me, Yugi," Atem intoned, raking a hand through his hair, his other hand balling into a fist to rest on his hip. "You tell me to stay, you tell me to go and, quite frankly, I have no idea what to fucking do right now. I want to help you, Yugi, I do, but you have been pushing me away from day one, and I don't _want_ to be pushed away anymore."

"Fucking Christ, Atem, what the hell do you expect me to do?!" Yugi yelled, his own fists clenching by his sides. "It's all I know how to do! So, you know what, fuck you, you fucking - "

Yugi stopped, because suddenly Atem was next to him, kneeling down by his bed and staring up at him. The mahogany eyes were bright with compassion and completely lacking the frustration they held within their depths only moments before. "Hush, Yugi..." he whispered, brushing the back of his hand, his knuckles, against Yugi's cheekbone.

Yugi looked down at him, his eyes shimmering with emotions he wasn't supposed to have. "I keep fucking trying, Atem. I keep trying to rip the feelings I have for you right out of me. I know that I need to, I know that I do, but for fuck's sake, I really don't fucking want to. All I've been asking of you for weeks is for you to walk away, but now that you are... _Why_? Why is it is _so_ hard to let you go?"

"I don't... I don't want to go, Yugi..." Atem murmured sincerely. "And somehow, against everything I've known and against every ounce of will-power I thought I had, I have found myself... attached to you."

"I wish you weren't though," Yugi replied honestly. "Because I don't think I have the strength to push you away anymore."

Atem shifted his hand to rest his palm against Yugi's cheek, effectively cupping the younger man's face. "You can't expect me to walk away from you on my own."

"You have to. He will kill you if you stay, Atem."

"I won't let him."

"You won't be able to stop him."

Atem's lips curved into a small, reassuring smile. "We'll figure something out."

"Oh, Atem..." Yugi sighed, leaning into Atem's hand, those violet eyes searching his own. "You are such a fool."

It was hard for him to argue with the accusation. So, he didn't. "I am," he agreed, softly.

Yugi closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, his chest rising as he did so. "I can feel him coming, Atem." Those eyes that reminded Atem of butterflies on a chilly Spring afternoon opened again to meet his gaze. "I don't want this to be the last time I see you."

"It won't be." Atem promised, his hand leaving Yugi's face so that he could stand straight once more. "I will leave now, so don't worry about me, okay? I'll be back next week."

"Part of me really wish you wouldn't." Yugi mumbled quietly. "I've already lost everything to him. I don't want to lose you to him, too."

"You won't."

"Won't I?" Yugi's expression suddenly darkened. "He won't stop, Atem. Not until we're both dead." Yugi turned his gaze from Atem to the wall on the opposite side of his bed, just a few inches away from him. With the bright light one of the side table lamps gave off, Yugi could see his shadow stretch out on the wall to tower over him - a dark reflection of his thin form and wild hair.

"Fucking bastard," Yugi hissed and, using the lengthened restraint to his advantage, he punched the cement wall - and, in effect, his shadow - as hard as he could.

* * *

><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

* * *

><p>It had to be Dissociative Identity Disorder. Or at least, it had to be some form of mental illness that stemmed from the Dissociative Disorders category.<p>

That was the only way Atem could rationally explain the two strikingly different personalities inhabiting a single body. It was surreal, really - something that Atem had never encountered in all his years in the field.

First, there was Yugi - who, despite whatever co-morbid disorders were at play here, still met much of the criteria for sociopathy as proposed by the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Yugi was cold, distant, and often apathetic with a blatant disregard for authority figures and, in the instances that Yugi broke from his apathetic default, he was prone to emotional outbursts and bouts of agitation. In addition, as evidenced by his connection with Atem, Yugi was indeed capable of forming attachments to others, however maladaptive they actually were.

When it came down to it, Atem wasn't as naive as perhaps Yugi accused him of being. Atem knew that there was truly a part of Yugi that was a chaos-seeking human being. But it was also clear to Atem that this was the result of years of mental abuse and torture by the hands of his darker half, forcing Yugi into a shell of a man who's only safe outlet (who's only way to feel _anything_ at all without triggering Yami) was to pull others into his own madness.

Atem could see that doing so didn't bring Yugi joy, but it didn't send him spiraling into remorse either. In fact, chaos seemed to be the only thing that made Yugi feel alive while at the same time reminding him of how dead inside he was; how far had he come from the loving, carefree young man that he once was.

Even so, Atem knew there still existed a part within Yugi that held onto the smallest tendrils of his humanity - a part of himself that was completely nonexistent within his other personality, within _Yami_, who was a psychopath to his core. Unlike Yugi, Yami was completely unable to form attachments and presented with a lethally charming personality, as opposed to the often harsh exterior that Yugi and other sociopaths exhibited. Whereas Yugi was volatile, Yami was cool, calm, and meticulous. As a psychopath, Yami was unrelentingly manipulative and could easily mimic emotions despite his inability to actually feel them. Based on the information Yugi had provided Atem, it seemed that this was exactly what Yami had done to Yugi within the first few months following his initial appearance, though, given his last interaction with Atem, it was clear that the darker half no longer bothered with keeping up the charade.

Yami's sole purpose was to inflict pain and suffering, which contrasted sharply next to Yugi's general indifference to it all, as if Yugi accepted that it was all just a part of life and it was stupid to think otherwise. But whereas Yugi found some form of comfort in the intricacies of his chaotic expression, Yami had no interest for such petty things. He didn't care for the game like Yugi did; only for the absolute annihilation of his opponent.

Simply said, Yugi was beautiful mayhem.

And Yami was sudden death.

* * *

><p><strong>0o~0~0o<strong>

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><p>"Care to explain to me how Yugi Motou ended up with a broken hand during your last session?"<p>

Atem found his supervisor's office floor particularly interesting this afternoon. "Not... really," he muttered quietly.

"You know, Atem, I've had it up to _here_ with you two." Malik raised his hand to his forehead to illustrate his point, then leaned back in his desk chair with a sigh. "He is a fucking hot mess, and you - well, _you_ are clearly not objective anymore."

Atem snapped his now narrowed gaze up to meet his supervisor's. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"What, do you think I'm that oblivious?" Malik leveled Atem's glare with one of his own. "You are not as subtle as you think, and while it is not abnormal for psychologists to develop ties with their clients, I have the sense that your attachment to him is bordering on that ethical line you love to hate so goddamn much."

_Ethical line?_ Atem exhibited supreme restraint in holding back his laughter. Who was he kidding? There was never an adequately drawn line between himself and Yugi. No, there was just a never-ending abundance of strings that intertwined them into the most tangled, irreparable mess he had ever known. "He needs _help_," Atem defended anyways from his seat across from Malik. "That's our_ job_. And sure, we've had some mishaps these past few months, but since when was this ever a cut-and-dry line of work? Christ, I am doing what I can, and I wish everyone would get off my fucking back."

Malik opened his mouth, the reprimand sharp and ready on his tongue. But then something stopped him and the heat that had been rising in the room suddenly cooled. A few moments of tensed silence passed between them, after which Malik leaned forward, picked up a blue folder by his computer, and tossed it over to the other side of the desk.

Atem spared the folder a glance. "What's this?" he asked.

Malik shifted back into his seat and folded his hands on top of his stomach, fingers interlacing. "Motou has officially been sentenced for the murders of the inmates and the guard."

Atem's eyebrows furrowed together, confusion filling the lines of his face. "And?" he prompted. "I don't see how tacking on additional sentences when he is already on Death Row is anything to be - "

"The state," Malik interrupted, "argued that he poses a continual threat to his fellow inmates and the guards staffed at M.P.. They requested that his execution date be expedited." He paused just long enough to let his words sink in. "The request was granted as of this morning."

Malik hadn't even finished speaking by the time Atem had whipped open the folder. That feeling - the one he had so often experienced in his encounters with Yami, wracked his insides with a vengeance, as he read the new scheduled execution date. And as his mind went about calculating how much time existed between now and then, those feelings - waves crashing, ships sinking, bile rising - overwhelmed his senses. "Six months...?" Atem read aloud.

Malik observed him for a second, his expression softening slightly, before he nodded. "I'm sorry, Atem. I know that you are just trying to help him, and I know that, to some degree, you have formed an unique bond with him. But this was inevitable. You know as well as I do that he is dangerous and that he needs to pay for his crimes."

When Malik was met with nothing but stunned, disbelieving silence, he found himself compelled to fill the void in conversation. "Look at the bright side," he offered, giving Atem a sideways glance. "You'll soon get to take that vacation you wanted."

* * *

><p><em>To Be Continued...<em>

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><p><strong>AN: **Please Review!

Next Chapter: Yami pays Yugi a visit.


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